Rise in viral infection Private hospitals labs offering flu testing packages to avoid repeat examination
New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) With the number of Covid-19 cases, flu and other respiratory infections on the rise in the national capital, private hospitals and laboratories are offering comprehensive kits to eliminate the need for repeated tests.
Influenza, coronavirus, and respiratory syncytial virus typically share common symptoms, such as cough, runny nose, and fever, and many times a test does not detect the disease.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), flu cases due to influenza A subtype H3N2 virus are on the rise. Hospitals across the country have been reporting high numbers of flu cases over the past few months.
India generally sees two peaks of seasonal fever — January to March and the post-monsoon period.
“Considering the significant increase in viral infections in the city, we have introduced a multiplex PCR-based comprehensive fever panel with 17 pathogens, including all common viruses such as covid, influenza viruses, parainfluenza viruses, metapneumovirus, adenovirus, enterovirus, rhinovirus, RSV and others,” said Dr. Tangs, CEO of the Laboratory. and partner Arjun Tang said.
The Pathology Laboratory also offers a comprehensive respiratory panel that tests for 22 pathogens, including common bacteria and all common circulating strains of viruses that cause the current flu.
“The advantage is that these tests give results in a few hours, are highly sensitive and detect the nucleic acid of the pathogen and are not affected by any antibiotics the patient took before the test,” he said.
Based on the results, timely clinical decisions can be made with rational use of antibiotics and antiviral drugs.
“These panels have a significant impact on patients because they provide a diagnosis in most cases, eliminating the need for repeat testing. The type of specimen required for these tests is a nasal swab or oropharyngeal swab, similar to what is required for Covid-19 testing,” Tang said.
Seeds of Innocence IVF Clinics and GeneStrings Diagnostic Center offer a range of diagnostic tests for diseases like flu.
Chetan Kohli, COO, Seeds of Innocence IVF Clinics and GenStrings Diagnostic Center said, “We have been offering various tests for the last three to four weeks. These tests are expensive, priced at Rs 5,000 per panel. We get them from hospitals. We test 30-odd samples daily. We’re coming.”
Dr Nilesh Shah, President and Head of Science and Innovation, Metropolis Healthcare, said, “Our covid-19 virus suite includes tests for influenza A, influenza B, H1N1, H3N2, RSV, SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) at Rs 5500, And a single fever panel is INR 4500. Patients opt for tests through doctor’s recommendations.”
