Respiratory Infection Diagnostics Markets 2027–2031

Respiratory Infection Diagnostics Markets: Market Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Technology and Policy Outlook, 2027–2031

Global forecasts by technology, plex, pathogen, setting and product, for 14 countries and regions, with 38 company profiles.

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Our Take

Respiratory testing is leaving the COVID-19 boom behind. SARS-CoV-2 is now one of several seasonal viruses, usually tested in the same swab as flu and RSV, and fast PCR is moving from the laboratory to the clinic, the pharmacy and the home. The market grows from $13,100 million in 2026 to $15,600 million in 2031, at 3.6% a year. Suppliers face falling respiratory sales, the end of COVID-19 emergency authorisations and lower US lab fees.

Market Size 2026: USD $13.1B Market Size 2031: USD $15.6B CAGR: 3.6%

Situation Analysis: what is really happening

• Busy seasons, falling sales. The 2025–26 flu season was moderate overall and high for children, yet respiratory sales fell at Danaher, bioMérieux and Roche.
• Emergency authorisations are ending. COVID-19 emergency use authorisations end on 26 December 2026, and the FDA has made point-of-care COVID-19 antigen tests Class II devices.
• Point-of-care PCR is the growth engine. POC Molecular grows 8.2% a year, from $2,685.5 million to $3,978.0 million, with new clearances for Cepheid's Xpert Respiratory Panel and QuidelOrtho's NULEXA system.
• Combination tests take over. Duplex, triplex and syndromic tests rise from $6,681.0 million to $9,204.0 million, more than the whole market's growth, while SARS-CoV-2 grows only 1.2% a year.
• Prices are under pressure. CMS proposed 2027 cuts of about 19% for microbiology codes and 22% for molecular pathology, and China's pricing reforms cut hospital purchases.
• Testing reaches the home. The FDA cleared Visby Medical's at-home flu and COVID-19 PCR test, and four-in-one RSV, flu and COVID-19 antigen tests reached US shelves.

Company Analysis: who is positioned, who is exposed

• Cepheid (Danaher), bioMérieux and Roche: Lead molecular and syndromic respiratory testing, and felt the sales downturn most.
• Abbott and QuidelOrtho: Rapid antigen and point-of-care leaders; QuidelOrtho bought LEX Diagnostics for its NULEXA fast PCR system.
• Hologic, Qiagen, DiaSorin and Waters: Lab PCR and panel suppliers, with Hologic now private and Qiagen heading that way.
• Visby Medical, Aptitude, ACON and iHealth: Home and point-of-care challengers with cleared products ahead of the end of emergency authorisations.
• Karius, Illumina, Inflammatix and MeMed: Sequencing and host-response tests for the hardest cases.
• SD Biosensor, Sansure, Wondfo and Fujirebio: Asian suppliers facing price reform in China.

In all, 38 company profiles, each one to two pages with a fact box covering website, headquarters, ownership, revenue, employees and key products.

Questions this report answers

• How large is the respiratory testing market now that COVID-19 is seasonal?
• How fast will combination and syndromic tests replace single-virus tests?
• Will point-of-care and home PCR take share from the laboratory and from antigen tests?
• Which tests survive the end of emergency authorisations on 26 December 2026?
• What will lower US lab fees and China's pricing reforms mean for suppliers?
• How large is each country market, and which pathogens grow fastest?

What's inside

• 278 pages, 23 chapters, 61 tables and 49 figures
• Forecasts for 2027–2031 from a 2026 base year, by technology, plex, pathogen, setting and product, for 14 countries and regions
• COVID-19, influenza and RSV testing, strep and bacterial pneumonia, point-of-care and home testing, and laboratory and syndromic panel testing
• Technology, regulation, reimbursement and policy, and China, Asia-Pacific and emerging markets
• 10 market-moving developments from 2025 and 2026, SWOT, Porter's Five Forces and strategic recommendations
• 38 company profiles
• Download the Table of Contents (PDF)

Who buys this report

• Diagnostic companies and business development teams: plan products for combination and point-of-care respiratory testing.
• Laboratory and health-system leaders: plan seasonal capacity and the move to near-patient PCR.
• Investors and analysts: model the post-pandemic market and the supplier downturn.
• Public health programmes: plan respiratory surveillance and pandemic preparedness.

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ABOUT THE LEAD AUTHOR

Mr. Greg Powell, B.Sc., M.B.A., is the President of Howe Sound Research. His education includes:

Finance for Senior Executives - Harvard Business School

Market Research - Burke Institute

M.B.A. (Finance and Policy) - University of British Columbia

B.Sc. (Chemistry) - University of British Columbia

He is an experienced business and clinical professional. He is co-author of the paper "The Radioimmunoassay of Angiotensinogen by Antibody Trapping." He has worked in laboratory testing and management for over 20 years.