Physician Office Specimen Requirements

Patient’s physician must contact Delaware Public Health Epidemiology Branch at 1-888-295-5156 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) before collecting specimen. Patients who do not meet the SARS case definition will not be tested. If approved for SARS testing, physician should obtain consent form from Delaware Public Health for patient to complete prior to testing.

 

Container/Tube:  Plain, red-top tube or 3.5-mL red-top (gel) tube
Specimen:  5 mL to 10 mL (pediatric volume:  1 mL) of serum
Collection Instructions:  Collect acute specimen as soon as possible after onset of illness; collect convalescent specimen >28 days after onset of illness.
Note:  1. Hand walk specimen with completed consent form and laboratory requisition to the Microbiology Laboratory. (Do not transport in pneumatic tube system.)

2. Label tube with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of draw, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.