Seasonal Influenza

The CDC estimates that during the 2018-19 Influenza (flu) season, there were approximately 37.4 to 42.9 million flu illnesses, contributing to 17.3 to 20.1 million flu-related medical visits and between 531,000 to 647,000 flu-related hospitalizations. Many infections present with similar signs and symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish flu from other viral or bacterial respiratory illnesses.

The Comprehensive Respiratory Panel

BioReference®’s Comprehensive Respiratory Panelenables healthcare providers to improve patient care by providing comprehensive testing for diagnosis and treatment for upper respiratory infections. The panel simultaneously detects 17 viral and 4 bacterial infectious agents that present with similar symptoms. The test includes testing for the following viruses and bacteria

  • Adenovirus
  • Coronavirus HKU1
  • Coronavirus NL63
  • Coronavirus 229E
  • Coronavirus OC43
  • Human Metapneumovirus
  • Human Rhinovirus/Enterovirus
  • Influenza A
  • Influenza A/H1
  • Influenza A/H3
  • Influenza A/H1-2009
  • Influenza B
  • Parainfluenza Virus 1
  • Parainfluenza Virus 2
  • Parainfluenza Virus 3
  • Parainfluenza Virus 4
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus
  • Bordetella parapertussis
  • Bordetella pertussis
  • Chlamydia pneumoniae
  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae

PLEASE NOTE: BioReference®’s Comprehensive Respiratory Panel does not include testing for the detection of COVID-19. It does test for several other Coronaviridae (229E, HKU1, NL63 and OC43). Additionally, we offer a reflex panel which first tests the full Comprehensive Respiratory Panel, and if all negative, will reflex to COVID-19 testing. Please see order details by searching in the test directory for code M062, orclick here to read more about our COVID-19 response and test offerings.

Test Benefits

The Comprehensive Respiratory Panel may significantly reduce the duration of antibiotic use, the length of inpatient stay and the time patients spend in isolation. Improved clinical outcomes can result in cost savings, as well as increased patient satisfaction. With 97.1% Sensitivity and 99.3% Specificity, healthcare providers can rely on BioReference for accurate and dependable results.

When ordering tests, providers should only order tests that are medically necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of a patient, generally not for screening. Only a few screening tests are covered by most government and third party payers for certain conditions at specific intervals.