Question: I my lab is going to be processing COVID-19 test kits, how will we determine the safety of doing so?

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Frequently Asked Questions about Biosafety and COVID-19
section_headers: Specimen Handling
How should the laboratory perform a risk assessment to identify and mitigate risks?
section_content: All laboratories should perform a site-specific and activity-specific risk
assessment to identify and mitigate risks and determine if enhanced biosafety
precautions are warranted based on situational needs, such as high testing
volumes, and the likelihood to generate infectious droplets and aerosols. Risk
assessments and mitigation measures are dependent on the procedures performed,
identification of the hazards involved in the process and/or procedures, the
competency level of the personnel who perform the procedures, the laboratory
equipment and facility, and the resources available.
The risk assessment should identify all potential scenarios of a particular
activity that could produce a negative outcome. The risk assessment should
prioritize those potential negative outcomes, or risks, based on an evaluation
of the likelihood and consequences of each of those identified risks. The risk
assessment should determine the most appropriate control measures, and how the
system will measure the effectiveness of those control measures.
For additional information, refer to the following:

Laboratory biosafety guidance related to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)pdf iconexternal icon
Risk Assessment Best Practicespdf iconexternal icon
World Health Organization Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 3rdpdf iconexternal icon


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Answer is not specific on tests to take to ensure safety but does give advice on risk assessment and provides a link to that as well as "Laboratory biosafety guidance" which might be more in line with what the question is asking.
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Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Frequently Asked Questions about Biosafety and COVID-19
section_headers: Specimen Handling
How should laboratory personnel remove biohazardous waste from the laboratory or testing area for decontamination and disposal?
section_content: Handle laboratory waste from testing suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient
specimens as all other biohazardous waste in the laboratory. Currently, there
is no evidence to suggest that this laboratory waste needs additional
packaging or disinfection procedures.
For additional information, refer to the following:

Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) (5th edition)


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Answer is succinct when it comes to how to handle the lab waste due to the testing kits and gives a link for additional information for the requester to peruse if they are not entirely sure of what current lab procedures are.
Learn about what the U.S. government is doing in response to corona virus ( COVID-19) ..Department of Energy is researching COVID-19 at the National labs.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Could be Improved

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Frequently Asked Questions about Laboratory Testing and COVID-19
section_headers: For All Laboratories: Accessing Laboratory Testing
Can a pooling strategy be used to expand nucleic acid testing for SARS-CoV-2?
section_content: In areas with low COVID-19 prevalence, a two-stage specimen pooling approach
can help preserve testing reagents and resources. In the first stage, several
patients’ specimens are combined before extraction, and then tested all at
once. If the test comes back negative, then all of those patients can be
cleared with one test. If the test comes back positive, then all of those
specimens need to be extracted and re-tested individually.
The lower the prevalence of the disease, the larger the optimal pool size can
be. A recent studyexternal
icon from the
Nebraska Public Health Laboratory found that polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
tests for SARS-CoV-2 reliably return a positive result when one positive
sample is mixed with four negatives. Researchers in Germany and Israel have
had similar results.
A pooling strategy is not efficient when the prevalence of COVID-19 is
high. People with symptoms and people who have been exposed to someone with a
confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection should still be tested individually.
Before using a pooling strategy, the laboratory must have the proper
regulatory approvals. If the manufacturer’s guidelines and the emergency use
authorization (EUA) for that SARS-CoV-2 test do not stipulate pooling,
laboratories that use authorized nucleic acid devices can still bridge to
alternative components, including extraction methods, PCR instruments,
software versions, etc., under Section IV. A. 4. of FDA’s Policy for COVID-19
Tests During the Public Health Emergencyexternal
icon. These component changes can be achieved through evaluation
and verification of the performance of the component with the test, without a
new EUA or an amendment to the original EUA. Additional detail and suggested
studies are discussed in FDA’s policy. The process used for such changes must
also comply with Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments
(CLIA) guidelines.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Answer details how to use "pooling" resources that do not have anything to do with safety. Perhaps the safety information is included in one of the supplementary links but it will still lead to a waste of time on the requester's part.
Spread from person to person among close contacts (about 6 feet)..Where can I find Information on covid-19 cases,testing,hospitalizations,deaths,and other surveillance in the united states.

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