The COVID-19 Pandemic has prompted innovation and research to further understand not only SARS-CoV-2, but other respiratory viruses as well. Since the start of the pandemic there has been a lack in influenza collection and surveillance. In October 2021 the Life Sciences Testing Center at Northeastern University implemented the TaqPath™ COVID-19, Flu A, Flu B combo kit to test for multiple respiratory diseases among the University’s population. During this time the SARS- CoV-2 variant of concern, Omicron B.1.1.529, became the dominant strain in the greater Boston area. During this time an inverse correlation in the detection of positive SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A was observed. More data is needed to determine if this observed inverse correlation on positivity rate is linked to public health measures or biological mechanism within the immune system.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.