Recommendations for optimal autopsy tissue specimen collection, including number of recommended sections from high yield respiratory tissues
If nasopharyngeal swab specimens cannot be obtained, upper respiratory swab specimens may include these acceptable alternatives: an oropharyngeal (OP) specimen, or a nasal mid-turbinate (NMT) swab, or an anterior nares (nasal swab; NS) specimen, or nasopharyngeal wash/aspirate or nasal aspirate (NA) specimen
Timing considerations when collecting a postmortem swab
Revised title to include isolation in all settings other than health settings, not just home.
Changed the name of the ‘non-test-based strategy’ to the ‘symptom-based strategy’ for those with symptoms. Added a ‘time-based strategy’ and named the ‘test-based strategy’ for asymptomatic persons with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Extended the home isolation period from 7 to 10 days since symptoms first appeared for the symptom-based strategy in persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and from 7 to 10 days after the date of their first positive test for the time-based strategy in asymptomatic persons with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. This update was made based on evidence suggesting a longer duration of viral shedding and will be revised as additional evidence becomes available. This time period will capture a greater proportion of contagious patients; however, it will not capture everyone.
