By Scott Finkernagel, Senior Biosafety Manager
The CDC issued updated biosafety guidance for the handling of SARS-CoV-2 in a research setting (Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines for working with SARS-CoV-2 | COVID-19 | CDC). The revised guidelines describe activities involving SARS-CoV-2 that may be conducted at Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2). These changes were implemented following comprehensive evaluations of the virus's properties and its implications for laboratory and research operations. Concurrently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aligned the Risk Group (RG) classification and re-categorized SARS-CoV-2 as RG2.
Risk group classification takes the following factors into consideration:
a) Pathogenicity of the organism
b) Mode of transmission and host range
c) Availability of effective preventive measures (e.g., vaccines)
d) Availability of effective treatment (e.g., antibiotics).
- Risk Group 2 Agents are associated with human disease and pose moderate hazards to personnel and for which preventative or therapeutic interventions are often available.
- Risk Group 3 Agents are associated with serious or lethal human disease for which preventative or therapeutics may be available.
This revised guidance is specific to SARS-CoV-2 and should not be extrapolated to other members of the Coronaviridae family or to other members of the species. Laboratories engaging in work with novel or emerging coronaviruses, including zoonotic coronaviruses, must consider the wide range of pathogenic potential of coronaviruses. The coronavirus family includes a wide range of pathogens with some causing mild infections (e.g., human coronaviruses 229E and NL63), some causing severe infections (e.g., Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and others whose severity and transmissibility are unknown (e.g., novel zoonotic coronaviruses). Betacoronavirus pandemicum (SARS-CoV-1, Bat SARS-like coronavirus WIV1, coronavirus RaTG13, numerous other bat-hosted strains) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) remain listed as RG3 agents.
At WCM, SARS-CoV-2 research requires that a comprehensive biohazard risk assessment and agent-specific biosafety plan be completed and put in place prior to initiating research experiments. This assessment must involve collaboration with WCM biosafety professionals and laboratory leadership, and with approval from the WCM Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). All research conducted at WCM involving etiological agents or recombinant DNA requires review by the IBC prior to conducting experiments. If you have any questions regarding research with SARS-CoV-2 or COVID patient samples, please contact the IBC or EHS Biosafety at (646) 962-7233 for assistance.
When processing SARS-CoV-2 clinical specimens, the CDC strongly recommends that laboratory personnel consistently apply Universal Precautions to maintain optimal safety and containment levels. Additional guidance is available on biosafety and respiratory viruses: