Flu season and living with HIV

October 2007     View PDF     En español

How do you diagnose the flu?

In most cases, doctors diagnose the flu simply by the symptoms you have, especially when they occur during a peak flu season. Blood tests (rarely used) and cultures from the throat or nose can be used to identify the virus. Cultures may take up to two days for a result, which may not help your doctor decide on the proper treatment. The rapid flu test gives results in a half an hour, though the test is not 100% accurate.