archyde news
With falling temperatures and the onset of winter, the flu virus will come back. Know that you can do a rapid diagnostic orientation test (TROD) during the winter period in several places. This flu test allows you to detect virus A or B. It’s very fast, in less than 30 minutes you get the results.
Everything you need to know regarding the flu test in pharmacies
The TROD flu test can be performed without a prescription and it’s a bit the same maneuver as the Covid test. Indeed, it is a sampling in the nose which must be carried out within 24 to 48 hours following the onset of the first symptoms which make you think of a flu. For example, a fever above 39°C, headaches, body aches, cough, sore throat or intense exhaustion. Namely, every year between 2 and 6 million people suffer from this disease in the hexagon.
What is a TROD flu test? Here is the definition
The TROD flu test is a very rapid diagnosis. By a simple sample in the nose, you can know if you are affected by one of the two viruses, A or B. It is advisable to do this test only during times of high disease circulation, so in autumn/winter. The purpose of doing this review is twofold. First of all, it is to begin medical treatment very quickly and thus limit the risk of complications from this disease. Then, it is also to prevent the spread of the virus. For example, it is recommended to do so in communities, health establishments (EHPAD, FAM, MAS) and also for sensitive people, such as pregnant women or the elderly.
Where can we do it?
There are no self-tests, the TROD flu test must necessarily be carried out by health professionals. So you can achieve in the pharmaciesat your doctor, in a medical laboratory and to the hospital.
How does it happen ?
If you took tests during the Covid-19 pandemic, know that the flu test is a bit the same. The health staff will introduce a kind of Q-tip ” in the nose. Then, the cells contained on the sample are analyzed.
What is the timeframe for getting the results?
The good news is that the flu test results arrive in 20 to 30 minutes.
How reliable is it?
If you have a positive flu test, this indicates that you therefore have influenza A or B in your body. But, if you have a negative test, this does not mean that you are not infected with the virus. Indeed, the Ministry of Health explains of “ many false negatives, and a sensitivity of these tests limited, which is around 60%“. And also emphasizes a negative result may indeed result from a level of antigens below the detection threshold of the test (due, for example, to an incorrect sampling procedure or sampling too late in relation to the onset of the disease)“. So if you really need to investigate further, you can perform a PCR in the laboratory.
What is the price ?
The flu test costs between 6 and 7 euros in pharmacies. It is made without a prescription and it is reimbursed at 70% by health insurance.
archyde news