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The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a transformation in the infectious disease point-of-care testing (POCT) market. The shift towards miniaturized POCT devices will lead to the emergence of cost-effective integrated lab-on-a-chip devices based on microfluidic technologies and smartphone-based solutions enabling multiplexed detection of infectious pathogens. From RT-PCR to serology tests, and the beginning of new CRISPR-based diagnostics powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, a high degree of sensitivity and specificity is possible. This shift is fostering notable market growth driven further by the possibility of alternate care sites that will provide more affordable and accessible point-of-care diagnostic tests. Genomics are expected to drive the innovation spectrum in this space, changing the paradigm of understanding host-pathogen interaction, creating opportunity for more personalized prevention. CRISPR-based diagnostic tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 have shown a specificity and sensitivity of 100% on clinical patients, and it is only a matter of time before such tests are implemented at a POC setting.

The infectious disease POCT market is a high growth ecosystem generating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.3% from 2019 to 2024. Driven by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the market is expected to witness a growth rate of 70.2% in 2020. Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the Rest of World (ROW) are expected to emerge as the fastest growing segment during the forecast period, primarily for carrying the greatest disease burden. Influenza, RSV, and CT are some of the key infectious diseases. The United States will lead the respiratory tract infection (RTI) POCT segment when compared to Europe whereas Europe will surpass the United States in the sexually transmitted infection (STI) POCT segment. India is expected to emerge as the fastest growing market for STI POCTs in APAC. The top 5 participants account for close to 85% of market share.

An increase in government funding is expected to boost infectious disease prevention and management, supported by a spike in STDs among the millennial generation. Although the RTI POCT segment dominates the infectious disease POCT market, increased vigilance is expected in the STI POCT segment. For POCT innovators, a mix-and-match implementation model is recommended, offering a blend of options chosen individually to best address the requirements of healthcare providers, technology innovators, and the general public, thereby supporting the sustainability of infectious disease POCT programs. Multiplexed POCTs made to detect multiple infectious pathogens from a single specimen will sustain long-term market growth.