GHC Genetics now offers the opportunity to test for other respiratory diseases

From 19 November 2021, GHC Genetics will be the first to offer the opportunity to be tested at a sampling site for other common respiratory diseases that are more or less prevalent in our population, especially in autumn, winter and spring. These include influenza A and B viruses, respiratory diseases caused by the so-called RSV virus and adenovirus, too. The testing is in the form of a highly sensitive antigen test, and people receive the result, along with the coronavirus test by the same method, within 15 minutes on site.

In addition to virus detection, the highly sensitive antigen test will be offered at all GHC Genetics sampling sites and includes influenza A and B viruses, which are the most common causative agents of influenza disease in our country, as well as RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which is a common cause of severe respiratory infections, especially in preschool children. It mainly causes bronchitis and pneumonia. The last one is the adenovirus, which causes upper respiratory tract infections such as nasopharyngitis and pharyngitis. These infections are quite often associated with conjunctivitis and painful enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes. It is also the causative agent of acute bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchiolitis.  

Respiratory diseases spread mainly in collectives, which is typical for schools, where , due to the worsening pandemic situation, testing logically takes place, so we expect that it may be reassuring for parents to learn (if their child tests negative for covid-19 antigen) the actual causative agent of the child's general respiratory symptoms at the same time.

An antigen test should preferably be performed in a symptomatic person when the probability of detecting the virus is highest, but it is also important to know that it is possible that even in this case the test will be negative for all types of viruses. Then it is likely that the symptoms are caused by a different virus or are of bacterial or other origin, which cannot be proven by antigen test. This is not an error in this case. Of course, there are many more causes of respiratory diseases and this test detects only the most common ones in our population.

According to long-term statistics, 60 to 90 percent of bronchiolitis cases in the Czech Republic are caused by RSV infection. Adenoviruses are involved in 4%-10% of pneumonia cases, 2%-10% of bronchiolitis cases. Adenoviruses are less common as causative agents of lower respiratory tract infections in children than RSV and parainfluenza viruses.

Multiple collections are not needed to detect the presence of the virus, everything is done in one collection and the result is known to the person tested in about 15 minutes, just like with a conventional antigen test. A laboratory report will then be sent to your email indicating the positivity/negativity for all these respiratory pathogens. For the respiratory disease package, the client pays CZK 350 with any antigen test (whether they are entitled to it for free or are private patients). This extended test is not covered by public health insurance in any way