Six Stages to Developing a Novel Infectious Disease Assay

Respiratory illnesses are generally characterized by a fever, a cough, and a sore throat. These kinds of infections are common during fall and winter and can occur in either the upper or lower respiratory tract. As the winter season gives way to spring, you may be reflecting on your own recent bouts of illness. Within, we recommend six stages to developing a novel infectious disease assay in advance of the next respiratory virus season.

The etiologic agents of respiratory tract infections, whether bacterial or viral, can cause various symptoms. Depending on the location of infection, this might include pharyngitis, bronchitis, and even pneumonia in some cases. Recent activity levels of respiratory illness are relatively high in the United States. Data shows that COVID-19, influenza, and RSV combined were responsible for 10 percent of ER visits during the past two winters. In fact, these three viruses alone were responsible for up to seven percent of deaths in the U.S. per week in recent winter seasons. When it comes to diagnosing respiratory illnesses, there can be real challenges due to overlapping symptoms and distribution of diseases, which is why having a multi-target diagnostic can be particularly useful.