The ability for health care providers to distinguish between the pathogens causing respiratory infections, which often present similar symptoms, is crucial for making more informed decisions about patient health management, as well as the management of health care resources. This diagnostic test could help increase testing capacity and expand access to testing across the U.S. to more quickly identify, isolate, and treat individuals with COVID-19, influenza, or RSV. Adaptable, highly sensitive, and specific diagnostic testing technologies are needed to detect a respiratory pathogen quickly, inform earlier treatment, improve equitable diagnostic access, reduce burdens on the health care system, and to help mitigate the impacts of outbreaks.
Read the full press release from BARDA.