Rapid and Accurate Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Diagnostics: The Critical Role of Molecular Assays and Point-of-Care Testing in Mitigating Seasonal Outbreaks and Pediatric Illness
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common, highly contagious virus that poses a serious threat to infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, often leading to severe lower respiratory tract infections like bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Timely and accurate RSV Diagnostics are crucial for appropriate patient management, infection control, and determining the necessity of hospitalization and supportive care. The gold standard has increasingly moved towards molecular assays (PCR) due to their high sensitivity and specificity.
However, the widespread use of rapid point-of-care antigen tests in clinical settings allows for quicker decision-making, despite their lower sensitivity compared to PCR. The article examines the latest diagnostic methods, their comparative performance, and the impact of rapid diagnosis on clinical practice and public health response to seasonal outbreaks. A key discussion can revolve around the balance between speed (antigen tests) and accuracy (PCR) in a high-volume pediatric setting, particularly given the recent development of RSV vaccines and monoclonal antibody preventatives.