Specimen Collection and Testing COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 is a notifiable condition that should be reported to your local health department immediately if either suspected or confirmed. 

Testing and specimen submission to the DSHS laboratory requires pre-approval from your local health authority. 

Commercial and drive through laboratory testing is also available. Please consider these as testing options for yourself and your patients due to their larger capacity to test compared to public health laboratories.

FAQs on COVID-19 Testing at Laboratories (CDC March 10, 2020)

Interim Guidelines for Collecting, Handling, and Testing Clinical Specimens from Persons Under Investigation (PUIs) for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (CDC March 24, 2020) 

COVID-19 Texas Laboratory Testing Requirements (Information collected by Texas Medical Association as of March 19, 2020) 

New CPT code for COVID-19 testing: What you should know (AMA March 16, 2020) 

COVID-19 Specimen Collection and Submission Instructions (DSHS March 13, 2020)

FAQs for Diagnostic Tools and Virus (CDC March 1, 2020)

Laboratory Testing Fact Sheet for Patients (CDC Feb. 4, 2020) 

Laboratory Testing Fact Sheet for Health Care Professionals (Feb. 4, 2020)


Persons Under Investigation (PUIs) Resources: COVID-19

Clinical Care COVID-19 Resources

Infection Control and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) COVID-19 Resources

Specialty Physicians COVID-19 Resources

Practice Management COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Resources main page

Last Updated On

November 13, 2020

Originally Published On

March 18, 2020