Assessment of Multiplex Molecular Tests for Detecting Viral Infections in Lower Respiratory Tract Specimens

Lower respiratory tract (LRT) infections represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly among critically ill patients. Rapid molecular diagnostic tests have improved the detection of respiratory pathogens; however, most commercial assays are validated exclusively in upper RT (URT) specimens, limiting their applicability in LRT samples, which are often more representative of disease in advanced or severe cases. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of two commercially available assays, the BioFire Respiratory Panel 2.1 Plus and the Panther Fusion SARS-CoV-2/Flu A/B/RSV assay, on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens, using the Allplex Respiratory Panel 1/2/3 and the Allplex SARS-CoV-2 assay as reference methods validated both for URT and LRT matrices.