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This post has been medically reviewed by Rob Rohatsch, MD, Medical Advisor to Solv Health. As many Americans...
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A flu test can help you and your doctor determine if you have the flu and, if so, what treatment you'll need to reduce your symptoms and recover quickly. When you are suffering flu-like symptoms, you should get a flu test. Fever, chills, weakness, congestion, sore throat, cough, and muscle pains are all common flu symptoms. Other health disorders, such as COVID-19, can be ruled out with a flu test.
A flu test can be done using a swab or a nasal swab. Your healthcare professional uses a cotton swab to remove a sample of tissue and fluids from your nose during a swab test. A nasal test involves injecting a little amount of saline solution into your nose and then collecting the sample with gentle suction. Depending on whether you have a fast flu test or another test that requires your sample to be examined in a lab, results are available immediately or within one to two days.
If you are at risk of becoming seriously ill from the flu, a flu test may be required. Those who have a weaker immune system, are pregnant or hospitalized, are under the age of five, or are over the age of 65 are at a higher risk of serious sickness.
There is no need to prepare for a flu test, and there are no major risks or side effects. However, once your healthcare professional obtains the test sample, you may feel slight discomfort that lasts a few seconds. If your test results are positive, your doctor may prescribe drugs to help you manage your symptoms or work with you to choose the best treatment option. The flu usually passes in one to two weeks for the majority of people.
If you are at high risk of becoming extremely ill from the flu, your doctor may recommend that you obtain an annual flu vaccine. If you're at risk for the flu, talk to your doctor about how often you should get a flu test and when the best time is to receive the flu vaccine.
Flu test kits range in price from $18 to $24.50, with an average cost of $20. A flu test, on the other hand, may cost more or less depending on a variety of factors such as provider rates, geographic area, and if your health insurance plan covers this treatment. The most accurate approach to find out how much a flu test costs is to call the testing company directly.
Many health insurance plans include flu testing, particularly if your doctor orders it because of your symptoms. To discover more about your benefits and flu testing coverage, contact your health insurance provider directly. Some flu testing companies will run a free insurance benefits check to see if your plan covers this test.
The CDC recommends that you get tested for the flu within three to four days of becoming ill. It also warns that you can spread the flu to someone else even if you don't have any symptoms or before you start having them. Flu symptoms can occur one to four days after the virus has entered your body on average.
A swab test or a nasal aspirate can both be used to diagnose the flu. Your healthcare professional will use a swab to collect tissue and fluid samples from your nose or throat for the swab test. A saline solution is injected into your nose for the nasal aspirate test, and the sample is removed with mild suction. Your sample may be submitted to a lab for further examination, or test results may be available right away.
Depending on the testing procedure employed, flu test results may come back right away or take several hours or days. The fast flu test normally produces results in 30 minutes, but results from flu tests sent to the lab usually take one to two days to arrive. The flu test provider will be able to provide you a more precise timeline for receiving your results.
In less than 30 minutes, a quick flu test can establish whether you have the flu. This test is quite useful because it provides immediate findings. This also allows you and your healthcare professional to talk about the various treatment options accessible to you. Other forms of flu testing must be sent to a lab and the findings must be received within a few days.
The quick flu test has been demonstrated to yield significant rates of both false positives and false negatives, making it less accurate than other forms of flu testing. If you have a chance that your flu test findings are erroneous or imprecise, your doctor may elect to administer a different sort of flu test that requires lab assessment.
A flu test can be done at your doctor's office, as well as at any pharmacy, drugstore, hospital, urgent care clinic, or other healthcare facility that provides this service. Solv's flu test directory is the simplest method to find out where you can obtain a flu test. Solv can offer you with a list of the top-rated flu test providers in your area, so you don't have to waste time looking for them on your own.
The fast flu test is the most often used flu test, although it is not as accurate as other flu tests because it is known to produce a significant number of false positives and false negatives. If you're concerned about the accuracy of flu test results, have your doctor or flu test provider conduct a non-rapid flu test that will be forwarded to a lab for analysis.
Booking a flu test with a local clinician is simple and convenient with Solv. Type "flu test" or "influenza test" into the Search form on our homepage, then choose your area from the dropdown menu on the right. Solv will provide you a list of the best flu test providers in your area, with the opportunity to schedule an appointment or contact the provider for more information.
Updated on Oct 25, 2024
Solv has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
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