Here’s Where You Can Go to Get a Flu Test Right Now
Key takeaways:
The flu, COVID-19, and common colds all cause similar symptoms. So it can be difficult to tell them apart based on your symptoms alone.
A flu test can tell you for sure whether you have the flu. You can get tested for the flu at many places, including urgent care centers and local pharmacies. You can also use an at-home flu test.
Talk with a healthcare professional if you test positive for the flu. Prescription flu medications can help you feel better faster, but they work best if started within 48 hours of when your symptoms begin.
Table of contents
Getting sick during cold and flu season is no fun. And now it’s harder than ever to figure out what’s making you feel ill. Your symptoms alone can’t tell you whether you have the flu, COVID-19, or another virus. And the cause of your symptoms can have a real impact on your daily life. You want to know whether to isolate yourself and if you need to start treatment for COVID or the flu.
Only a flu test can tell you for sure whether you have the flu. So, if you have flu symptoms between October and May, it’s a good idea to get a flu test. This is especially true if you’re over 65 years old or have medical conditions that affect your heart, lungs, or immune system. And you want to test as soon as possible.
Prescription flu treatments — like Tamiflu (oseltamivir), Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil), and Relenza (zanamivir) — work best if they’re started within 48 hours of when symptoms start.
Search and compare options
Finding a flu test may be easier than you think. Here are four places you can get a flu test right now.
1. Retail pharmacies
Many retail pharmacies — including Walgreens and CVS — offer rapid flu tests that give you results within 15 minutes. Retail pharmacies are a great place to start when looking for a flu test because they have flexible hours, convenient locations, and walk-in appointments. You can also check with the pharmacy at your grocery store, as some also offer flu testing.
To save time, call your pharmacy or check their website to make sure they offer flu testing. Some pharmacies require an appointment while others have walk-in testing.
For a rapid flu test, you or the healthcare professional will rub a cotton-tipped swab on the inside of your nose. Rapid flu tests are very popular because they offer very quick results.
But rapid flu tests have one drawback: They’re not the most sensitive test for the flu. So false-negative results are common. If you have flu symptoms during peak flu season and you have a negative rapid flu test, the staff at your pharmacy may recommend that you get a more sensitive test.
2. Urgent care centers
Urgent care centers are one of the most popular places to get a flu test. You can rest assured that they can test you for the flu.
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Urgent care centers also offer flexible hours and walk-in appointments, although it’s still best to check and see if you need to make an appointment. But finding an urgent care center near you may pose a challenge depending on where you live.
The type of flu testing available will vary from center to center. Some urgent care centers only have rapid tests like those retail pharmacies offer.
But other urgent cares offer rapid molecular assays. These tests are more sensitive than rapid tests, and the results are still available within 30 minutes.
Some may also offer reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and multiplex tests. Flu RT-PCR tests use special equipment and are very accurate. But they’re only available through large facilities or labs. If your urgent care center is connected to a hospital or major medical facility, they may opt for RT-PCR testing. But results take several hours — or even more if they have to send your test to a lab.
Multiplex tests are designed to test for common cold viruses, COVID, and the flu all on one nasal swab. These tests also use special equipment and can be more expensive. But your urgent care center may offer this as an option. Results are usually available within a few hours.
3. Your primary care provider’s office
Most healthcare professionals offer rapid flu testing during peak flu season. Getting an appointment with your primary care provider may be more difficult than getting into an urgent care center or retail pharmacy.
But the benefit of seeing your primary care provider is that they know your medical history. And they can help you decide on the best course of treatment if you have the flu. They can also see you for follow-up visits as you go through your flu illness to make sure you're recovering properly.
Like urgent care centers, your primary care provider’s office may offer different types of flu tests. Your provider may only have access to rapid tests. But here’s another benefit of seeing your primary care provider: If you have a negative rapid test and your provider is still concerned that you have the flu, they can send your sample to an outside lab for a more sensitive test. So you don’t have to worry about getting another flu test.
Some doctor’s offices offer rapid molecular assays and other types of flu testing, especially if they’re connected to a hospital or large medical facility.
4. Your own home
You can test yourself for the flu in the comfort of your own home. Labcorp offers home flu testing kits that can also tell if you have COVID or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — all using the same swab.
The test is available without a prescription, but you have to order it from the manufacturer’s website. So, unless you stocked up before flu season, getting a test in real time will be challenging. Your order might not arrive within the 48-hour treatment window. Plus, you have to drop off the sample at a local Labcorp.
The lab will run your sample and provide you with results within 1 to 2 days. Depending on how close you live to a Labcorp and the timing of your results, you may not get your information within the 48-hour window.
In 2023, the FDA gave emergency-use authorization for a combination flu and COVID at-home test called Lucira. With this test, you collect your own sample and run it at home. Results are available within 30 minutes.
You can get a Lucira test online or at retail pharmacies without a prescription. Depending on your insurance coverage, it may be more affordable to use another option, like testing at a local pharmacy.
Frequently asked questions
Antiviral flu medications can help you feel better faster, but they’re most effective when you start them within 48 hours of when you first have symptoms. So test for the flu as soon as possible if you want to take prescription flu medication or if you have a higher risk of flu-related complications.
After being exposed and infected with the flu virus, you’ll likely have symptoms in around 2 days. But this can range from 1 to 4 days.
Yes, there’s a chance you may not get the flu even if you’re around someone who’s infected. You’re less likely to get infected if you’ve received the flu shot. But remember that the flu is very contagious and can spread through the air when someone who’s infected coughs, sneezes, or breathes. So do your best to avoid contact with someone who has the flu, and wear a mask if you must be around them.
The bottom line
When you get sick during cold and flu season, your symptoms alone can’t tell you if you have the flu, COVID, or another virus. And knowing which virus you have helps you decide on plans for isolation and treatment. So, if you think you may have the flu during flu season, get tested so you can start prescription anti-flu medications within 48 hours, if needed.
You can get a flu test at your local retail pharmacy, urgent care centers, or your primary care provider’s office. Most results are available within 15 to 30 minutes. There are also at-home flu testing kits available without a prescription. But you have to order these tests from a manufacturer website.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Overview of influenza testing methods.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Flu season.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). People at higher risk of flu complications.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Information on rapid molecular assays, RT-PCR, and other molecular assays for diagnosis of influenza virus infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Key facts about influenza (flu).
