Developers Deploy New COVID-19 Test That Also Detects Influenza and RSV

SALT LAKE CITY – A new type of COVID-19 test that can also detect influenza and RSV could alleviate some of the overcrowding burden some hospitals face.

Researchers at ARUP Laboratories are rolling out a new type of nasal swab test that can detect three different respiratory diseases in a single exam.

With COVID-19 already causing extreme pressure on hospitals, doctors and nurses, Utah health officials have urged everyone to get their flu shots this year. ARUP Laboratories analysts say a massive influx of influenza patients could cripple the already struggling hospital system.

Dr Adam Barker, director of the ARUP COVID-19 Rapid Response Lab, says we haven’t seen as many confirmed cases of the flu so far, mainly because of the precautions people take to prevent the spread. of COVID-19 also work for other respiratory problems. However, it is too early to know how bad the flu season will be.

“We are only just starting this season. The flu season usually starts in November, really intensifies in December and January, and peaks in February, ”says Barker.

The developers of ARUP and Thermo Fisher Scientific are offering hospitals and clinics a new type of test capable of detecting COVID-19, influenza A / B and RSV, which is particularly dangerous in young children and adults older. Barker says that not all coughs are related to the coronavirus, and treatment can vary wildly between these three conditions.

Barker says, “These three diseases are very similar when a patient gets them.”

Patients will need to speak to their doctors to request this specific test, but, according to Barker, this would ensure that patients do not have to come back for further testing once a disease has been ruled out.

“You can do one test at a time and get all the information at once rather than taking people back to clinics and hospitals,” he says.

Barker believes some patients may ignore the flu and RSV as COVID-19 is drawing all the attention across the country.

He says, “Usually during influenza season we would test for influenza first, and then if it is not influenza we look for other respiratory viruses. COVID. “

This particular exam is administered in two ways. Healthcare workers can use a deep nasal swab or take samples from the back of the throat and the front of the nostrils. Barker says saliva tests are not effective in detecting the flu.

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