Because of this, it is possible to get a negative result even though you are infected.
While they’re faster, rapid tests are not as accurate.
If your symptoms do not improve with antiviral treatment, you probably did not have the flu after all.
Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell
In that case, you might need different treatment.
However, manyover-the-counter(OTC) medications for symptom relief work for many different flu-like illnesses.
Some providers won’t do rapid flu tests because of the limited accuracy.
Instead, they’ll treat you based on your symptoms.
In these cases, confirming a flu diagnosis helps providers make the right treatment decisions.
However, these tests are not always accurate and there are several factors that affect the results.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rapid influenza diagnostic tests.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Influenza specimen collection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Respiratory virus guidance.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Respiratory virus guidance update FAQs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing and respiratory viruses.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What you should know about flu antiviral drugs.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diagnosing the flu.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Overview of influenza testing methods.
