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As influenza cases in the community continue to rise, major Darling Downs Health facilities will be utilising 4-plex testing to rapidly identify different viruses this winter.
4-Plex testing will allow treating staff to quickly identify whether a person is infected with Influenza A, Influenza B, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or COVID-19, with results available within an hour.
Pathology Queensland Toowoomba Group Laboratory Manager Neil Dawson said the importance of distinguishing the type of virus that a person is fighting is incredibly important.
“The ability to perform a 4-Plex swab and quickly identify the virus a person is fighting can often result in a better outcome for them. Our testing capability for these four viruses can allow the treating team to provide appropriate care and medication in a very timely manner,”
Pathology Queensland Toowoomba Group Laboratory Manager Neil Dawson
“While the 4-Plex testing has been available for some time, the rapid increase of Influenza A and B cases sometimes makes it hard for the treating team to distinguish between other viruses in the community, like RSV and COVID-19.”
Director of Public Health and Community Medicine at Darling Downs Health Dr Liam Flynn said while the viruses share similar symptoms, they have varying impacts on people and treatment options would change depending on what a person is infected with.
“We know there are different viruses active in the community at the moment, and this test helps to identify some of the more common culprits. While they share similar symptoms, there are some differences in treatment options which can be important when people are quite unwell,” Dr Flynn said.
“Not only is it important to identify what virus a person has, but it’s also critical that we protect other patients and staff within our hospital settings. We don’t want to have scenarios where people who are COVID-19 positive are admitted in the same spaces as those with Influenza and vice versa. Battling one of these viruses is enough on its own and we want to minimise exposure to a different virus.”
4-Plex testing is currently available at Toowoomba, Dalby, Warwick and Kingaroy hospitals and will primarily be used through emergency departments. If a 4-Plex is not available or suitable, a multiplex analysis will be performed, with results available within four to six hours.