Influenza currently hardly plays a role in Europe when it comes to flu or flu-like infections. But the next seasonal flu wave will certainly come at the end of the year, and Covid-19 is unlikely to go away. In the US there will at least be some kind of PCR test for both types of viruses.
By next fall at the latest, a combination of corona and flu infections should be just around the corner. For both infections — with similar symptoms — there are drug treatment options that only work within a few days of the infection or symptoms. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and at the same time distinguishing cases of the two diseases would be important.
Molecular testing procedure
The American diagnostics company Lucira Health has probably achieved a success here: on February 24, the first combination home test received emergency use approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. It is not an antigen test, but a molecular test that can detect genetic material from influenza A, influenza B and Covid-19 pathogens, including the omicron variants.
High precision
According to the FDA, if the test fails, there is no influenza A 99.3 percent of the time and no influenza B 99.9 percent of the time. Covid-19 disease is completely ruled out if the result is negative. Conversely, the method detects 90 percent of existing influenza A infections (positive result) and 88.3 percent of existing SARS-CoV-2 infections (positive result).
The test method, which is available in pharmacies without a prescription, is intended on the one hand to enable timely quarantine measures and on the other hand to enable the early use of antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu/Influenza) or Paxlovid (SARS-CoV-2). other. The symptoms of flu or Covid-19 are often similar and only have an effect in the initial phase of the disease.
Molnupiravir denied final approval
One of the previously approved covid drugs, molnupiravir, is likely to play a much smaller role in the future. “The European Medicines Agency (EMA; note) has recommended that Lagevrio (brand name for the active substance molnupiravir; note) be rejected as a medicine for the treatment of Covid-19,” the EMA said. The American pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD) can request a new assessment.
Source: Krone
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