DiaSorin Molecular LLC, a Cypress-based subsidiary of Italian biotechnology firm DiaSorin, received U.S. clearance to differentiate between a number of respiratory infections on one test platform.
The company’s Liaison MDX instrument has been authorized to run assays for SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19), the flu (influenza A and B) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common respiratory tract infection, at the same time.
It can also diagnose co-infection of COVID-19 and the flu, which often warrants combination therapy.
“The accurate diagnosis of the virus causing the infection can have major implications for the management of therapeutic regimens, infection control and community mitigation efforts,” the company said in a statement.
Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital and Providence’s Orange County hospitals, among others, have acquired several test instruments capable of processing such samples simultaneously.
Local health systems have also stressed the importance of getting a flu shot to help avoid a twin-pandemic in the fall; Hoag Hospital ordered more than double its normal amount of flu vaccinations, with a $500,000 grant from the George Hoag Family Foundation, and UCI is requiring flu vaccinations for all of its students and staff.
