Influenza Virus A & B Antigen, Nasal Swab
This rapid antigen test detects influenza A and B viruses from a nasal swab. Results are available within hours, helping guide timely treatment decisions during flu season.
6 hours
Turnaround
Nasopharyngeal Swab
Sample
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.
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.
It gives an answer within the same visit, which is useful when a decision about treatment cannot wait for a laboratory result.
Antiviral medicines help most when started early in the illness. A rapid confirmation supports that decision in people at higher risk.
A confirmed viral cause makes clear that antibiotics will not help. This spares the patient side effects and reduces resistance pressure.
The test reports the two types separately, which is useful for tracking outbreaks and for understanding what is circulating.
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.
No fasting window — pick any slot that suits you, online or on WhatsApp.
A DHA-licensed nurse collects your sample at home or in the office — free home collection.
A physician-reviewed, easy-to-read report lands securely by WhatsApp and email.
A rapid antigen test for influenza A and B.
Influenza Virus A & B Antigen, Nasal Swab
A rapid antigen test for influenza A and B.
The target was not detected — a negative result.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Influenza Virus A & B Antigen, Nasal Swab test. Can't find what you're looking for?
Talk to our team→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.
A negative rapid test does not exclude influenza, particularly in adults or later in the illness. Your doctor may treat you on clinical grounds during a period of high influenza activity, or send a PCR test or respiratory panel, which is more sensitive.
Only whether it is influenza A or influenza B. It does not identify the subtype or the specific strain, and it gives no information about whether the virus would respond to a particular antiviral. Those questions need laboratory testing done for public-health surveillance.
The injected vaccine will not, because it contains no live virus that could be detected on a nasal swab. The live attenuated nasal spray vaccine can occasionally cause a positive result shortly after it is given, so mention it if you have had one.
This rapid antigen test detects influenza A and B viruses from a nasal swab. Results are available within hours, helping guide timely treatment decisions during flu season.
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.
No, fasting is not required for the Flu A & B Antigen (Nasal) test, so you can eat and drink normally beforehand.
The Flu A & B Antigen (Nasal) test uses a nasopharyngeal swab sample, collected quickly by our DHA-licensed phlebotomist with minimal discomfort.
Results for the Flu A & B Antigen (Nasal) test are typically ready within 6 hours. You will receive a secure digital report, and your Smart Report highlights anything outside the normal range.
The Flu A & B Antigen (Nasal) test is AED 170, which includes free home sample collection and a physician-reviewed report. You can also build a custom panel and pay only for the markers you choose.
Yes. A DHA-licensed phlebotomist can collect your sample at home or the office anywhere in Dubai at no extra cost, 7 days a week. See how it works.
It is commonly chosen by all ages. If you are not sure it is right for you, our care team is happy to advise.
Add the Flu A & B Antigen (Nasal) test to your cart and complete the short booking wizard, choosing home collection or a lab visit. Guest checkout lets you book without creating an account.
Yes. It is processed at our EIAC-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189:2022) under DHA license 0046381 and verified by board-certified pathologists.
Every report includes reference ranges and plain-language notes. If you have questions, our care team can arrange a clinician review — just get in touch.
Absolutely. Add it to a curated health package or bundle it with any of our 160+ biomarkers, often from a single sample in one visit.