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Viral Infections of the Respiratory Tract

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Family Medicine

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Abstract

Respiratory viruses are ubiquitous organisms that can cause a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations in patients of all ages ranging from mild or even asymptomatic upper respiratory tract infections to fatal illnesses with multi-organ failure [1]. Viral infections of the respiratory tract are also common in all age groups and are the leading cause of mortality in children under 5 years of age in developing countries [2]. They pose a significant symptom burden for individuals and a high financial burden to society – mostly due to loss of productivity, healthcare costs, and school absenteeism [3]. Advances in diagnostic testing and improved ability to detect pathogens have demonstrated that viral pathogens are important causal pathogens of respiratory tract infection even in immunocompetent patients. As the number of elderly adults and those with chronic medical conditions increases, the burden of viral respiratory infections has also increased [4].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health, Fort Myers, FL, USA

    Lee Coghill & Alfred Gitu

Authors
  1. Lee Coghill
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  2. Alfred Gitu
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Correspondence to Lee Coghill .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, USA

    Paul Paulman

  2. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Robert B. Taylor

  3. Department of Family Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Audrey A. Paulman

  4. Department of Family Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA

    Laeth S. Nasir

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Coghill, L., Gitu, A. (2020). Viral Infections of the Respiratory Tract. In: Paulman, P., Taylor, R.B., Paulman, A.A., Nasir, L.S. (eds) Family Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0779-3_169-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0779-3_169-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-0779-3

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