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MON, 28 SEPT · 76 ITEMS
"A 15-minute blood test could distinguish dangerous bacterial infection in feverish babies" — New Scientist · Science & Medicine
This is a rapid diagnostic test being trialled in NHS hospitals that uses a blood sample and a point-of-care device to tell within 15 minutes whether a feverish baby's infection is bacterial or viral. The aim is to cut unnecessary antibiotic use, speed up treatment for dangerous conditions such as sepsis and meningitis, and reduce hospital admissions. The test likely measures a set of biomarkers that discriminate between bacterial and viral infections, building on recent published work on biomarker combinations.
New Scientist is a reputable secondary source reporting on a real NHS clinical trial and peer-reviewed research. The underlying evidence includes a Scientific Reports study on a biomarker combination differentiating viral from bacterial infection and multiple NHS trust announcements from late 2025, so the claim is solidly grounded; specific performance numbers should be verified against the primary paper.
This is current reporting published on 2026-09-26, though it continues an ongoing trial story that first made headlines in late 2025, so it is a fresh update rather than a brand-new discovery.