While your doctor may test you for flu, not everyone who goes to the doctor with flu-like symptoms will be tested. After evaluating you, your doctor may choose to diagnose you with flu without the need for testing based on your symptoms and his or her own clinical judgement. Please visit diagnosing flu for more information. It is possible to have flu as well as other respiratory illnesses including COVID at the same time. Health experts are still studying how common this can be.
Some of the symptoms of flu and COVID are similar , making it hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Diagnostic testing can help determine if you are sick with flu, COVID, or another respiratory infection. This test is being used by U. Testing for these viruses at the same time will give public health officials important information about how flu and COVID are spreading and what prevention steps should be taken.
The test will also help public health laboratories save time and testing materials, and to possibly return test results faster. Initial test kits were sent to public health laboratories in early August CDC will continue to manufacture and distribute these kits. More information for laboratories is available. Top of Page. To receive weekly email updates about Seasonal Flu, enter your email address:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.
Influenza Flu. Section Navigation. Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results. A new flu vaccine is made each fall.
It is especially recommended for people in high-risk groups, such as young children, adults over the age of 65, and individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma or heart disease. If you have questions about the flu vaccine, talk to your health care provider. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.
Flu Influenza Test. What is a flu influenza test? What is it used for? Flu tests are also sometimes used to: Figure out whether an outbreak of respiratory illness in a community, such as a school or nursing home, has been caused by the flu.
Identify the type of flu virus that is causing infections. There are three main types of flu viruses: A, B, and C. Why do I need a flu test? You may be at a higher risk for serious illness from the flu if you: Have a weakened immune system Are pregnant Are over the age of 65 Are under the age of 5 Are in the hospital.
What happens during a flu test? There are a couple of different ways to get a sample for testing: Swab test. Your health care provider will use a special swab to take a sample from your nose or throat. Nasal Aspirate. Your health care provider will inject a saline solution into your nose, then remove the sample with gentle suction. Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test? You don't need any special preparations for a flu test.
Some of these complications can be serious or even life-threatening. They include. The flu also can make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may have asthma attacks while they have flu. To diagnose the flu, health care providers will first do a medical history and ask about your symptoms.
There are several tests for the flu. For the tests, your provider will swipe the inside of your nose or the back of your throat with a swab. Then the swab will be tested for the flu virus. Some tests are quick and give results in minutes. But these tests are not as accurate as other flu tests. These other tests can give you the results in one hour or several hours. Most people with the flu recover on their own without medical care.
People with mild cases of the flu should stay home and avoid contact with others, except to get medical care. But if you have symptoms of flu and are in a high risk group or are very sick or worried about your illness, contact your health care provider. You might need antiviral medicines to treat your flu. Antiviral medicines can make the illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They also can prevent serious flu complications. They usually work best when you start taking them within 2 days of getting sick.
The best way to prevent the flu is to get flu vaccine every year. But it's also important to have good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often. This can help stop the spread of germs and prevent the flu. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice.
0コメント