For patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019, how to take lavage fluid specimens correctly is the current clinical focus during the epidemic. At the same time, since alveolar lavage is an invasive operation of the airway, it is necessary to follow standard procedures for protection and operation to prevent occupational exposure risks of medical staff. The Department of Intensive Care Unit of West China Hospital of Sichuan University formulated the operation procedure of alveolar lavage for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 based on the original operation procedure of alveolar lavage. This article introduces the indications and contraindications of the operation procedure, preparation before operation, operation procedure and precautions, post-operation processing and operation protection for clinical reference and implementation.