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Respiratory Infections: Supporting Better Health Decisions Through Diagnostics

Respiratory infections remain a significant challenge for patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare systems worldwide. From seasonal respiratory illnesses to more severe infections, clinicians often face complex decisions when evaluating patients whose similar symptoms can have many possible causes.

Respiratory season highlights the importance of timely, accurate diagnosis to help guide clinical decision-making and support appropriate patient management. Advances in diagnostic technologies are providing healthcare professionals with actionable insights more quickly, leading to better-informed treatment and infection prevention, while addressing broader public health challenges.

A child sits on a hospital bed while a healthcare worker places an oxygen mask on the child’s face. Medical equipment can be seen in the background. The worker is focused on providing care.

An Evolving Respiratory Landscape

Respiratory illnesses continue to represent a substantial global health burden. Lower respiratory infections remain the world's leading infectious cause of death, responsible for an estimated 2.5 million deaths globally in 2023.1

Meanwhile, the respiratory landscape is becoming increasingly complex. Healthcare professionals are often faced with multiple respiratory pathogens circulating simultaneously, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV-2, and other viral and bacterial pathogens. Global surveillance continues to show the scale of the concurrent circulation of these respiratory viruses across many regions of the world.2

Diagnostics Drive Stewardship

Healthcare organizations are increasingly emphasizing diagnostic stewardship, often described as ensuring the right test is used for the right patient at the right time. Diagnostic stewardship can optimize clinical testing, support patient care, and contribute to more effective use of limited healthcare resources.3

Diagnostic insights also support broader antimicrobial stewardship, helping healthcare professionals make informed treatment decisions while supporting appropriate antibiotic use.4

Advancing Respiratory Diagnostics

Healthcare professionals today are balancing clinical, operational, and public health priorities simultaneously. Continued advances in diagnostics are helping support that increasingly interconnected approach to care.

Diagnostic innovation is transforming how respiratory infections are evaluated and managed. Molecular diagnostics, syndromic testing approaches, and advances in point-of-care technologies are making clinically relevant information available faster and in a wider range of care settings.

Dr. Cooper Quote Teaser

"Respiratory infections affect far more than individual patients. Diagnostic information contributes to a broader understanding of disease patterns and strengthens our collective ability to respond to emerging health threats," said Dr. Charles K. Cooper, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, bioMérieux. "Advancing respiratory health requires collaboration across healthcare, public health, research, and industry. By bringing together expertise from across the ecosystem, we can elevate diagnostic practices and help build more resilient healthcare systems." 

Charles Cooper headshot on a white background

"Respiratory infections affect far more than individual patients. Diagnostic information contributes to a broader understanding of disease patterns and strengthens our collective ability to respond to emerging health threats," said Dr. Charles K. Cooper, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, bioMérieux. "Advancing respiratory health requires collaboration across healthcare, public health, research, and industry. By bringing together expertise from across the ecosystem, we can elevate diagnostic practices and help build more resilient healthcare systems." 

Insights

Please note: Content and information in English are intended for an international audience and can be viewed in French or other languages using the translation tools built into your web browser and video viewing platform.

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References

  1.  Global burden of lower respiratory infections and aetiologies, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2026). [thelancet.com], [broadinstitute.org]
  2.  Global Trends in Infectious Respiratory Diseases, World Health Organization Member State Briefing (2024). [apps.who.int]
  3.  Diagnostic Stewardship Toolkit, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [reach.cdc.gov]
  4.  Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship and Antibiotic Use and Stewardship in the United States, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [cdc.gov], [cdc.gov]

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