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Influenza Virus A & B Antigen, Nasal Swab

Flu A & B Antigen (Nasal)

This rapid antigen test detects influenza A and B viruses from a nasal swab. Results are available within 24 hours, helping guide timely treatment decisions during flu season.

NASOPHARYNGEAL SWAB24 HOURSNO FASTING
AEDAED170
  • Free home collection
  • Physician-reviewed report

24 Hours

Turnaround

Nasopharyngeal Swab

Sample

About This Test

What the Influenza Virus A & B Antigen, Nasal Swab test tells you

This is a rapid antigen test for influenza, performed on a swab taken from the nose. Rather than looking for the virus's genetic material, it detects viral proteins directly using antibodies fixed to a test strip, and it reports separately for influenza A and influenza B. The appeal is speed and simplicity: it can be run close to where the patient is seen, and the answer arrives while the consultation is still in progress rather than after a laboratory run.

That speed has a clinical purpose. Influenza looks much like several other winter respiratory infections, and confirming it can change what happens next. Antiviral treatment is most useful when started early in the illness, so a quick answer matters most for people at higher risk of complications: young children, older adults, pregnant women, and anyone with chronic heart or lung disease, diabetes or weakened immunity. A confirmed viral diagnosis also discourages the reflex prescription of antibiotics, which do nothing for influenza, and helps households and clinical areas take sensible precautions.

The trade-off is sensitivity. Rapid antigen tests are considerably less sensitive than PCR, so they miss a proportion of genuine infections, particularly when the swab is taken later in the illness, when less virus is being shed, or in adults, who tend to shed less than children. A negative result during a period of high influenza activity therefore does not rule the infection out, and a doctor who still suspects flu may treat on clinical grounds or send a PCR test or a respiratory panel to settle it. A positive result during flu season, by contrast, is usually reliable, because these tests are more specific than they are sensitive.

Sample type
Nasopharyngeal Swab
Turnaround
24 Hours
Fasting
Not required
Best for
All ages
Why Get Tested?

Recommended during flu season for patients presenting with acute onset of fever, cough, and body aches to guide antiviral treatment within 48 hours of symptom onset.

  • Confirming influenza quickly

    It gives an answer within the same visit, which is useful when a decision about treatment cannot wait for a laboratory result.

  • Guiding antiviral timing

    Antiviral medicines help most when started early in the illness. A rapid confirmation supports that decision in people at higher risk.

  • Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics

    A confirmed viral cause makes clear that antibiotics will not help. This spares the patient side effects and reduces resistance pressure.

  • Separating influenza A from B

    The test reports the two types separately, which is useful for tracking outbreaks and for understanding what is circulating.

When This Test Is Ordered

Reasons your doctor may request the Influenza Virus A & B Antigen, Nasal Swab test

Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.

  • Sudden flu-like illness

    • Sudden fever, aching muscles, headache and a dry cough during a period of influenza activity.

  • Higher-risk groups & outbreaks

    • Respiratory symptoms in someone at higher risk of complications, such as an older adult or a person with chronic lung disease.
    • Symptoms in a pregnant woman, where early treatment decisions matter.
    • A cluster of similar illnesses in a household, school, workplace or care setting.

  • Guiding treatment & telling viruses apart

    • Deciding whether antiviral treatment is appropriate early in an illness.
    • Distinguishing influenza from COVID-19 or another respiratory virus when management would differ.
Preparation
The short version
No prep needed.
  • Nasopharyngeal Swab
  • Free home collection
  • No fasting
  • Results in 24 Hours
  1. 1
    Book any time

    No fasting window: pick any slot that suits you, online or on WhatsApp.

  2. 2
    We come to you

    A DHA-licensed nurse collects your sample at home or in the office: free home collection.

  3. 3
    Results in 24 Hours

    A physician-reviewed, easy-to-read report lands securely by WhatsApp and email.

Prep note
Physician reviewed

No fasting or special preparation is needed.

What matters most is timing: the test performs best when the swab is taken early in the illness, while viral shedding is at its highest, so seek testing soon after symptoms begin rather than waiting to see whether they settle. Avoid nasal sprays, decongestants and saline rinses shortly beforehand, as they can wash away the material the test relies on.

Tell the team exactly when your symptoms started, whether anyone around you is unwell, and whether you have had a flu vaccine recently, particularly a nasal one. The swab takes only a moment; breathing normally and keeping still makes it easier.

Understanding Your Results

Detected means influenza antigen was found on your nasal swab, reported separately for influenza A and influenza B. During the influenza season that is dependable evidence of infection, because the test is more specific than it is sensitive, and it supports an early decision about antiviral treatment. Not Detected is weaker evidence. This method is considerably less sensitive than PCR, so a negative result while influenza is circulating does not settle the question. Swabbing later in the illness, or in an adult, who sheds less virus than a child, lowers the chance of detection, and nasal sprays or saline rinses shortly beforehand can wash away the material the test relies on. A recent live nasal influenza vaccine can also produce a positive result. Your doctor reads the answer with your symptoms, when they began and what is circulating locally.

SmartReport

Influenza Virus A & B Antigen, Nasal Swab

Detected means influenza antigen was found on your nasal swab, reported separately for influenza A and influenza B. During the influenza season that is dependable evidence of infection, because the test is more specific than it is sensitive, and it supports an early decision about antiviral treatment. Not Detected is weaker evidence. This method is considerably less sensitive than PCR, so a negative result while influenza is circulating does not settle the question. Swabbing later in the illness, or in an adult, who sheds less virus than a child, lowers the chance of detection, and nasal sprays or saline rinses shortly beforehand can wash away the material the test relies on. A recent live nasal influenza vaccine can also produce a positive result. Your doctor reads the answer with your symptoms, when they began and what is circulating locally.

Not Detected

The target was not detected: a negative result.

Detected

The target was detected: a positive result. Please consult your physician.

This test is reported descriptively rather than on a numeric scale: each finding below explains what your report may say.

This information is for general education only and is not medical advice. Reference ranges can vary by laboratory, age, sex, and individual factors. Always consult your physician or doctor to interpret your results.

Reading a High or Low Result

  • What a higher result can point to

    • A current influenza A infection, the type responsible for most large seasonal outbreaks.
    • A current influenza B infection, which circulates alongside A and affects children particularly.
    • Early illness with heavy viral shedding, when antigen is most abundant and most readily detected.
    • Recent administration of a live attenuated nasal influenza vaccine, which can occasionally produce a positive result.

These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests: your doctor decides what it means for you.

Limitations & Safety

What this test cannot tell you

  • The test is considerably less sensitive than PCR, so a negative result during a period of high influenza activity does not rule influenza out and may be followed by PCR.
  • Sensitivity falls later in the illness and in adults, who generally shed less virus than children, so timing of the swab matters.
  • It does not identify the influenza subtype or strain and gives no information about antiviral resistance.
  • When influenza is barely circulating, a positive result is more likely to be misleading, so results are read against the local pattern of illness.

Risks of the blood draw

  • Mild bruising or brief soreness where the needle went in.
  • Occasional lightheadedness, which settles after a few minutes of rest.
  • Bleeding or infection at the site, which is rare with sterile single-use equipment.
Key Points
  • 1This is a rapid antigen test detecting influenza proteins from a nasal swab, reporting A and B separately.
  • 2It is fast, but less sensitive than PCR, so a negative result does not rule influenza out.
  • 3A positive result during flu season is usually dependable, because the test is more specific than sensitive.
  • 4Swabbing early in the illness, when viral shedding is highest, gives the best chance of detection.
  • 5The result supports decisions about antiviral treatment and about avoiding unnecessary antibiotics.
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A nurse comes to you, results land in 24 Hours, and a physician walks you through exactly what they mean.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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As early as you reasonably can. The amount of virus being shed is highest in the first part of the illness and falls afterwards, so a swab taken early is much more likely to detect influenza than one taken once symptoms have been present for several days.