What is Influenza?

Influenza (commonly known as ‘flu’) is a highly contagious, acute viral infection that infects the respiratory system including the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. Infections caused by the virus can cause mild to severe illness, and sometimes its complications can be deadly. 

How does Flu Spread?

Influenza is a communicable disease that is easily spread through airborne droplets, carrying the live virus, when someone with the infection talks, coughs or sneezes1. 

When is Flu Season

Seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round, but influenza outbreaks typically occur during the fall and winter months. Several other respiratory viruses also spread during the flu season and can cause similar signs and symptoms as the flu. 

Influenza Symptoms

After exposure and infection with influenza virus, symptoms usually appear about one to four days. The flu can cause mild to severe illness. Flu symptoms usually appear quickly. Common symptoms include a fever, aching muscles, chills, and sweats. People who have flu may experience some or all of these signs and symptoms of the flu:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children than in adults)

Who is most likely to get sick with the flu?

According to the CID study, children are most likely to get sick from flu and people age 65 and older are least likely to get sick from flu. 

Period of contagiousness

You may be contagious beginning on day one before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. People with flu are most contagious during the first 3 days of their illness. People with weakened immune system and young children may be contagious for longer periods of time.

How to Prevent the Flu

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccine each year. It has shown to help reduce the severity of flu related illnesses and the risk of serious flu complications. CDC also recommends everyday preventative actions to help reduce the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like flu such as distancing from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, frequent handwashing, and taking steps for cleaner air.

Types of Influenza Tests

Viral culture tests: The gold standard of laboratory diagnosis is 14-day cell culture with one of a variety of cell lines that can support the growth of influenza virus². Cell culture has limited clinical utility, as results are obtained too late in the clinical course for effective patient intervention. 

RT-PCR (molecular) tests: Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is a newer method that is generally more sensitive than culture with improved detection rates over culture of 2-23%3. However, RT-PCR is expensive, complex and must be performed in specialized laboratories. 

Rapid, point-of-care (antigen) tests: The qualitatively detects the presence of Influenza A and/or Influenza B antigen in nasopharyngeal swab/nasal swab, throat swab or nasal aspirate specimens, providing results within 8 minutes and the test uses antibodies specific for Influenza A and Influenza B to selectively detect Influenza A and Influenza B antigen.

Some tests also include the ability to test the same sample for COVID-19.

Where to get an Influenza Test

Tests for influenza are often requested from a doctor and conducted in a hospital, healthcare clinic, pharmacy, or laboratory.

When to get tested for the flu

If you are experiencing symptoms of flu, such as fever, aching muscles, chills, and sweats, ask your doctor about requisitioning a Rapid Response Influenza A+B Test Cassette. 

Rapid Response Tests

COVID-19 and the Flu have many similarities. Both viruses spread in similar ways such as between people in close contact, through respiratory droplets from talking, sneezing, or coughing. Symptoms in common include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and nausea or vomiting (more common in children).

The difference between COVID-19 and the flu is that they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 and the Flu also spread differently. COVID-19 appears to be contagious for a longer time and spreads more quickly than the flu. 

Types of Influenza Tests

Viral culture tests: The gold standard of laboratory diagnosis is 14-day cell culture with one of a variety of cell lines that can support the growth of influenza virus². Cell culture has limited clinical utility, as results are obtained too late in the clinical course for effective patient intervention. 

RT-PCR (molecular) tests: Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is a newer method that is generally more sensitive than culture with improved detection rates over culture of 2-23%3. However, RT-PCR is expensive, complex and must be performed in specialized laboratories. 

Rapid, point-of-care (antigen) tests: The qualitatively detects the presence of Influenza A and/or Influenza B antigen in nasopharyngeal swab/nasal swab, throat swab or nasal aspirate specimens, providing results within 8 minutes and the test uses antibodies specific for Influenza A and Influenza B to selectively detect Influenza A and Influenza B antigen.

Some tests also include the ability to test the same sample for COVID-19.

Where to get an Influenza Test

Tests for influenza are often requested from a doctor and conducted in a hospital, healthcare clinic, pharmacy, or laboratory. 

When to get tested for the flu

If you are experiencing symptoms of flu, such as fever, aching muscles, chills, and sweats, ask your doctor about requisitioning a Rapid Response Influenza A+B Test Cassette. 

References:

1. Williams, KM, Jackson MA, Hamilton M. (2002) Rapid Diagnostic Testing for URIs in Children; Impact on Physician Decision Making and Cost. Infec. Med. 19(3): 109-111.
2. Betts, R.F. 1995. Influenza virus, p. 1546-1567. In G.L. Mandell, R.G. Douglas, Jr. and J.E. Bennett (ed.), Principle and practice of infectious diseases, 4th ed. Churchill Livingstone, Inc., New York, N.Y.
3. WHO recommendations on the use of rapid testing for influenza diagnosis, World Health Organisation, July 2005.

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