Respiratory Virus Testing
Updated 9 Dec 2022
RSV is still present in low numbers, mostly in young children.
Influenza is not circulating, but we are seeing occasional cases come in with travellers from the Northern Hemisphere.
New cases of COVID-19 are still occuring. Inpatient COVID numbers are steady at about 20 most days. We try to identify the majority of cases as they come in, many of whom have COVID contributing to their overall condition.
Emergency Department patients with respiratory illness are now only routinely being tested for SARS-Cov-2, but under 5 year olds are also screened for RSV. Asymptomatic patients admitted from ED are all being screened for SARS-CoV-2 by a loop mediated amplification (LAMP) test, which compares well with PCR and is sensitive enough to detect historical cases from 2 or 3 months ago. RSV, Influenza and Adenovirus testing are available for any patient, on request.
Respiratory swabs received from the community (GPs) are tested for either SARS-CoV-2 alone or other viruses, as requested.
Dr Chris Mansell
Clinical Microbiologist
Latest laboratory specimen collection information can be found here
