Landry ML, et al. - In view of the high burden of respiratory infection and the importance of early and accurate diagnosis, researchers here sought for a simple diagnostic test to rule in viral infection as a cause of respiratory symptoms. They observed that host antiviral mRNAs and single host proteins detectable using nasopharyngeal swabs predicted the presence of viral infection accurately. Thereby suggesting this approach as promising for developing rapid, cost-effective tests to improve management of patients with respiratory illnesses.