HIV-1/2 Antigen/Antibody Combo

Collect venous blood into a plain serum tube or serum-separator tube approved by the receiving laboratory. Allow complete clot formation, centrifuge, and separate the serum cleanly from cells where required. Transfer the required serum into a labelled, leak-proof aliquot tube, keep it capped, and place it in a sealed biohazard specimen bag with absorbent material. Keep at 2–8°C for short transport unless the laboratory specifies frozen storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles and do not submit a leaking or heavily contaminated specimen. For HIV-1/2 Antigen/Antibody Combo, use packaging and preservation compatible with 4th-generation immunoassay; if the receiving laboratory supplies a dedicated collection kit, bottle or transport medium, that kit takes precedence over general packaging guidance.

3 Days

Mon 3 - Fri 2

For HIV-1/2 Antigen/Antibody Combo, provide the date of symptom onset or suspected exposure, relevant vaccination status where applicable, and any antimicrobial or antiviral treatment already started. Very early or late sampling can affect detectability, and a negative result may not exclude infection when the target is below the method's detection limit. Follow infection-control precautions during collection and do not combine specimens from different sites unless the laboratory specifically requests it.