Throat swabs are the most common in vitro technique for checking for signs of influenza virus A and B. Image credit: Shutterstock / beton studio.

Data from England’s National Health Service (NHS) shows that flu cases in the country have soared over the past month, with more than 5,000 patients hospitalised with the virus at the end of last week.

Analysis indicates that flu cases in hospitals have quadruped from figures seen in November 2024. A drop in temperatures is likely to add pressure to healthcare systems as viruses spread more easily.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care Professor Julian Redhead said: “These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year,” adding that the rise in hospital cases is “very concerning”.

Flu is caused by the influenza virus and presents with a range of symptoms, including fever, headache, and cough. The NHS offers flu vaccines every autumn, which reduce the chance of viral contraction and symptom severity.

Depending on the severity, flu infections can sometimes be diagnosed by medical professionals based on symptoms. However, diagnostic tests are useful for confirmation and deciding the treatment course.

The most common technique is a throat swab that checks for signs of influenza virus A and B, the former being the more common strain. Analysis by nucleic acid amplification, often rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, quantifies virus antigens in the sample. These have relatively quick turnaround times of several hours and are highly sensitive and specific.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Nucleic acid amplification tests occupy the largest market share of influenza tests, accounting for 60% of the total market value. The global influenza nucleic acid amplification test market was worth $230m in 2023 and is forecast to grow to $438.5m by 2033, according to analysis by GlobalData.

PCR testing for influenza is the gold standard diagnostic method for viral confirmation, but new tests are being developed. Israeli company BMT Diagnostics has developed a portable test that aims to cut the wait time down to 10–15 minutes whilst maintaining sensitivity. A study that used the test across 183 samples found the device to be a potentially important asset in contributing to early influenza detection.

Despite Covid-19 infection levels currently being lower than during the pandemic, coronavirus strains are still in circulation. This flu season is the first where combination tests – that check for both influenza and coronavirus – have been available, which use one swab to detect antigens from both viral families.

Dr Greg Martin, a professor of Medicine at Emory University, where many of the dual tests were evaluated, explains the potential advantages of such tests: “If you have respiratory symptoms, it’s a good idea to use a combo test to determine whether you have Covid-19 or the flu, especially since the symptoms can overlap.”