From preschool to university, the back-to-school period nearly always aligns with one factor: an increase in respiratory ailments. In late summer, as children head back to their classrooms, outbreaks of illnesses such as strep throat, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) become more prevalent, and schools can swiftly turn into facilitators of community transmission. These infections can disseminate quickly through contact with contaminated surfaces like desks, handrails, and even shared supplies. A deficiency in preventive actions, including individuals failing to cover their noses or mouths during coughing or sneezing, exacerbates the spread of infections.

Diagnostic tests are essential in ensuring safety during these peak outbreak periods, as children return to school. By aiding in the identification of illnesses, patients can receive appropriate treatment and help curb the spread to more susceptible groups. Moreover, diagnostic tests furnish critical data for epidemiologists and scientists gearing up for future outbreaks. As respiratory illnesses surge during this time, diagnostic tests become our most vital tools.

The significance of diagnostics

Whether opting for home testing or in urgent or primary care environments, efficient and precise diagnostics are imperative. Rapid diagnostics can be based on antigens or molecular techniques and typically yield results within fifteen to twenty minutes. Rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) enable clinicians to quickly and precisely identify flu cases and have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the duration and severity of outbreaks. Additionally, certain treatments for respiratory infections, like Tamiflu (oseltamivir), are most beneficial when administered shortly after symptom onset. Early diagnostics ensure timely symptom treatment.

Can we foresee respiratory illness outbreaks?

Regrettably, there is no reliable method for forecasting future respiratory illness outbreaks. However, data from diagnostic tests, along with other monitoring systems, can give valuable insights to scientists in preparing communities as thoroughly as possible. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin discovered that tracking school absenteeism could help predict increased flu activity in specific communities. Absences, frequently due to symptoms like fever or cough, may act as early indicators of a respiratory illness outbreak even prior to clinical testing results. Besides school monitoring, epidemiologists in the Northern Hemisphere often reference data from the Southern Hemisphere to glean insights into what the next respiratory illness season may hold. As the Northern Hemisphere approaches its peak season for respiratory illnesses, the Southern Hemisphere is exiting it. Though data from the Southern Hemisphere may not align perfectly, it can provide a useful indication of emerging strains or diseases, as well as the potential severity of particular outbreaks.

In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors diagnostic results, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations to observe potential peaks along with levels of infectious disease in wastewater, offering nearly real-time updates. This monitoring can help inform communities to take necessary precautions (like increased access to diagnostic tests and other health measures), reducing outbreak risks.

Ensuring safety for ourselves and our communities

Rapid and precise diagnostics are crucial for directing patients to the appropriate treatment, but they also play a key role in ensuring patients do not receive the “wrong” treatment. Identifying symptoms can help prevent the overuse of antibiotics, a major contributor to the escalating issue of antibiotic resistance—a critical global health concern where antibiotics cease to be effective against bacterial infections. Recent warnings indicate that excessive use of common antibiotics like amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin is significantly hastening resistance worldwide, highlighting the pressing need for swift and accurate diagnostic testing to make certain these medications are only prescribed when absolutely necessary.

Although many individuals may only experience mild symptoms from a respiratory illness, these viruses can present serious dangers to immunocompromised individuals, including young children and the elderly, alongside those with autoimmune diseases and cancer treatment patients. Without intervention, a respiratory illness outbreak can proliferate throughout a community quickly, exposing more vulnerable individuals to severe and possibly fatal infections. Early, rapid diagnostics for respiratory illnesses can assist individuals in receiving appropriate treatment and ensure communities take adequate precautions, safeguarding immunocompromised individuals from contracting the illness.

While schools can act as breeding grounds for the viruses causing respiratory ailments, they also constitute one of the most effective environments for surveillance. As families gear up for the new academic year, the message is clear: early and rapid diagnostics are not merely tools for ensuring patients receive suitable treatment but also represent the frontline defense in halting community spread.

Kevin King is a health care executive.