id.DRIVE launched a new prospective cohort pilot study to investigate whether respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory viruses may be underestimated when relying solely on nasopharyngeal swabs for diagnosis.
The primary objective is to compare the detection rates of RSV, human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and parainfluenza virus (PIV) using a multi-specimen collection approach (incorporating oropharyngeal swabs, saliva, sputum, and blood samples) against the standard single nasopharyngeal swab. By evaluating differences in virus detection rates, the study aims to generate evidence on whether current testing practices may underestimate the true burden of these pathogens in adults.
The study is conducted across a network of healthcare settings in Valencia, Spain, including one hospital, one emergency department, and four primary care centres.
Approximately 1,000 adults patients with acute severe respiratory infections (SARI) are expected to be enrolled. Data collection began on 7 January 2026 and will continue until 31 July 2026.
To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind conducted in Europe – and will complement the evidence already generated in the US1, 2. This pilot study will contribute to id.DRIVE’s broader efforts to strengthen real-world evidence on the true burden of viral respiratory diseases. Its results will inform the design and implementation of a larger multi-specimen study across different id.DRIVE sites in the season 2026-27.
The study is registered in the EMA Real-World Data Catalogue under the title “id.DRIVE pilot study to assess the detection of RSV, hMPV and PIV when using multi-specimen collection compared to a single nasopharyngeal swab” (EUPAS1000000780).
The study protocol is also available in our website here
1 J. Ramirez et al. (2023) Diagnosis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Adults Substantially Increases When Adding Sputum, Saliva, and Serology Testing to Nasopharyngeal Swab RT-PCR. Infect Dis Ther. 2023 Jun;12(6):1593-1603. doi: 10.1007/s40121-023-00805-1
2 E. Begier et al. (2025) Detection of RSV using nasopharyngeal swabs alone underestimates RSV-related hospitalization incidence in adults: the Multispecimen study’s Final Analysis. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.14.25320406