Background

Around half of all adult patients admitted to the emergency room with the flu have symptoms of respiratory distress. Additionally, other viral pathogens also may inhabit the respiratory tract in other illnesses and cause symptoms. Viral pathogens are the most common cause of respiratory infection including rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, measles, mumps, adenovirus, and coronaviruses. It also includes viruses responsible for acute infections that often occur as epidemics and pandemics such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2).

Throat swabs and nasal samples are typically obtained clinically to assess for respiratory pathogens using viral culture, enzyme immunoassay, direct immunofluorescence antibody staining,