Influenza Panel

What is an influenza test?

Influenza is one of the most common respiratory diseases that are known for spreading through droplets from one person to another. Influenza is known for spreading more during the winter time. Starting from fever and muscle ache, Influenza may also turn serious if not treated at the initial stage. Some of the primary symptoms of this disease may include cough, congestion, runny nose, fatigue, sore throat etc. It is always suggested to get in touch with a medical expert once any of these symptoms start to get visible in the body.

The prime purpose of performing an Influenza diagnostic test is to determine the presence of the influenza virus infection in a person’s body. There are 4 different types of influenza known as Influenza A, B, C and D. Influenza A and B are the most common categories, however, the C category is very much rare and generates too few symptoms. The Influenza Panel test also covers the H1N1 virus strain as that is the main reason for the globally notorious swine flu.

When to go for a test?

When the virus is aggressively spreading in your community or you have started to show the major symptoms of this disease, then you should go for this test. Apart from that, if people who have pre-existing respiratory conditions feel sick, they should consider going for an influenza test. The screening for influenza as well as swine flu is now possible to perform at once through one single test panel that contains necessary tests.

Sample requirements

Nasal swab samples are necessary to perform the tests, even more for those who are self testing. However, in case of serology test, blood sample can be required as the test is performed to look for the antigens of influenza in the blood. On the other hand, a sample from the respiratory tract is collected in case of performing molecular flu tests and antigen tests.

This test package includes influenza A and B test and the H1N1 virus strain checkup, which may require a sample that will be collected from your nose or mouth using a swab. Soon after collecting the sample, it is sent to the laboratory.

Test preparations

No specific preparations are required for this test.

Result interpretation

A positive influenza test result indicates the presence of the flu in your body. A negative test result means that you are probably not having the flu in your body and any other type of virus or disease is causing the symptoms that are getting visible in your body. However, in case of a positive result, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible. Knowingly, an influenza test price is very reasonable these days.