The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance to laboratories and stakeholders involved in laboratory testing of patients who meet the definition of suspected case of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus identified in Wuhan, China (See: Surveillance case definitions for human infection with novel coronavirus, Interim guidance).
Various existing WHO documents have been adapted for use in the drafting of this document, including WHO laboratory guidance for MERS-CoV (1-11). As information about the etiology, clinical manifestations and transmission of disease in the cluster of respiratory disease patients identified in Wuhan is evolving, WHO continues to monitor developments and will revise these recommendations as necessary.