Respiratory infections can be caused by a wide range of viruses and bacteria (collectively referred as “pathogens”). Sharing a similar route of transmission, respiratory pathogens can spread person-to-person predominantly through the air, respiratory droplet, direct contact and touching of fomites (contaminated objects). Whereas signs and symptoms could vary among different types of infection, the common ones include cough, sneezing, stuffy/runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, fever and fatigue. Due to substantial overlap in symptoms, a definitive diagnosis is usually difficult to be made clinically. Yet, for severe and hospitalised cases, respiratory specimens may be collected from patients for further testing. In general, respiratory infections are mild in healthy adults and require only supportive treatment. However, antibiotic/antiviral treatment and hospitalisation may be required for severe infections and cases occurring in individuals with a weakened immune system. For the prevention of respiratory infections, vaccination, mask-wearing and maintaining good personal and environmental hygiene remain the mainstay of strategy.
In EcSS+, we consider two markers to depict the epidemiological pattern of respiratory infections in the community:
- Reported influenza-like illness – an acute condition of respiratory infection with measured fever of ≥38°C and presentation of cough and/or sore throat
- Respiratory pathogens detected through multiplex rapid testing – the followings will be covered in the rapid test provided to the EcSS+ users: influenza virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydial pneumoniae