SARS-CoV-2 is a Select Agent.

SARS-CoV-2 is a Select Agent.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Cannot be determined
• D. Only in certain jurisdictions

Answer: (B)

Select Agents are a specific federal designation for a limited list of agents and toxins that require strict security, registration, and oversight under the Federal Select Agent Program. Being highly dangerous or capable of causing severe disease does not by itself make an agent a Select Agent; it must appear on the official federal list maintained by the CDC/APHIS. SARS-CoV-2 does not appear on that list, so it does not carry the additional Select Agent regulatory requirements. It is managed in high-containment biosafety facilities appropriate for a coronavirus (typically BSL-3), but that containment level is separate from the Select Agent designation. Some jurisdictions may have their own regulations or terminology, but the federal designation applies here, and SARS-CoV-2 is not a Select Agent.

Select Agents are a specific federal designation for a limited list of agents and toxins that require strict security, registration, and oversight under the Federal Select Agent Program. Being highly dangerous or capable of causing severe disease does not by itself make an agent a Select Agent; it must appear on the official federal list maintained by the CDC/APHIS. SARS-CoV-2 does not appear on that list, so it does not carry the additional Select Agent regulatory requirements. It is managed in high-containment biosafety facilities appropriate for a coronavirus (typically BSL-3), but that containment level is separate from the Select Agent designation. Some jurisdictions may have their own regulations or terminology, but the federal designation applies here, and SARS-CoV-2 is not a Select Agent.