Table 3.

Summary of potential benefits of POCT for respiratory viruses along with complicating factors.

Potential benefit of POCT	Complicating factors
Reduced unnecessary antibiotic use	Co-infection with bacteria is common
Improved antiviral usea	Ongoing controversy over efficacy of neuraminidase inhibitors
Improved isolation facility use	Increased detection of viruses may stretch limited resources
Reduced economic cost	Health economic modelling assumption are largely speculative

^aCurrently only neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza.