Can You Test for the Flu, COVID-19, and RSV at Home?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization to Pixel by Labcorp in 2022. This test allows people with symptoms of COVID-19, the flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to test at home. It gives people a one-stop approach to helping diagnose some of the most common respiratory viruses.

You don't need a prescription to access this test, which is available online or in a store. You'll need to perform a nasal swab to obtain a sample, which you send to Labcorp for testing. It takes several days to receive results.

What Is the At-Home Flu, COVID, and RSV Combination Test?

Pixel is a multi-analyte panel, meaning it tests for multiple viruses at the same time. These viruses include influenza A and B, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID. This type of test can be helpful since these viruses cause similar symptoms.

Pixel is also a type of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which detects the genetic material of a virus in your mucus or saliva. The test results will present a negative or positive result for each virus.

Who Should Use It?

Labcorp recommends Pixel for people aged 2 and older who have mild symptoms of the flu, COVID, or RSV. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Cough
• Diarrhea or vomiting
• Fatigue
• Fever or chills
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle or body aches
• New loss of taste or smell
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat

Who Should Not Use It?

It can take several days to receive the results of a PCR test like Pixel. It's important not to take this test if you're at risk for severe illness or complications from respiratory viruses. The turnaround time for results can delay care.

See a healthcare provider right away to receive a prompt diagnosis and treatment if you're in a high-risk group like:

• Older adults and young children
• People with a weak immune system
• Pregnant people
• Underlying health conditions or disabilities 

How Does the At-Home Test Work?

It's important to follow the instructions in the test kit carefully to get accurate results. Here's how the at-home test generally works:

• Register the test kit online after you receive it
• Wash your hands and then insert the provided swab into your nostril until you feel it stop
• Gently rotate the swab for about 10 to 15 seconds
• Remove the swab, then repeat on the opposite nostril

People aged 18 and older can collect their own samples. Those aged 14 and older can self-collect samples with adult supervision. Anyone younger than 14 must have adult assistance to collect the sample.

What Do Results Mean?

The seasonal respiratory virus swab must be sent to Labcorp for results, unlike at-home COVID tests, which provide results in about 30 minutes. Labcorp provides results through an online portal. The average time for results is one to two days from when the lab receives the sample.

The results will indicate a negative or positive result for the flu, COVID, and RSV. A negative result means the virus wasn't detected. A positive result means the virus was detected, and you're infectious.

A PCR test like Pixel is highly accurate and can often detect viral infections in the earliest stages, but false negatives can still occur. You may follow up with a healthcare provider if you test negative and were recently exposed or have symptoms.

Is It Available?

The process of purchasing, administering, and obtaining results from Pixel is relatively straightforward. It's slightly more time-consuming than at-home COVID tests.

You can purchase seasonal respiratory virus collection kits online through Labcorp's OnDemand or in a store without a prescription. The kit costs $129, and there's no upfront cost for those with insurance. However, people without insurance are required to pay upfront when ordering the kit.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Having access to at-home tests for the flu, COVID, and RSV can reduce the strain on healthcare providers and even reduce the spread of infections. "To a degree, it would decrease interactions and infected people coming into waiting rooms," Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Health.

The at-home test is not a perfect solution, given the long lag time between developing symptoms, receiving and taking the at-home test, and getting the results. "You need that test result as quickly as possible," William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Health. "I can't see that this will help you very much."

People at risk for severe illness may not be able to get antiviral drugs in time. The sooner you treat with Tamiflu (oseltamivir) for the flu or Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) for COVID, the better your results will be. This at-home test is not optimal in terms of timeliness and intervention.

This lag time could even raise the risk that people become sicker before getting needed care, ultimately arriving at a healthcare provider's office or hospital in worse shape. It's also possible they use even more healthcare resources than if they had seen a healthcare provider in the first place.

"What really will be game-changing and is needed are at-home tests that give results at home for influenza, RSV, sexually transmitted infections [STIs], and other common infectious disease," Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Health. "For high utilization or optimal utilization, a test that [provides] results in the home—like COVID and HIV tests do—is required."

When To Contact a Healthcare Provider

Pixel can identify and differentiate several respiratory viruses at the same time. Labcorp advises people who test positive for any of these infections to have a follow-up with a healthcare provider.

Contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop severe symptoms like:

• Blue lips or face
• Chest pain or pressure
• Confusion or inability to wake up
• High fever
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing

A Quick Review

Pixel is the a test that has received Emergency Use Authorization to detect the flu, COVID, and RSV. This PCR test can detect all three viruses at the same time. Labcorp tests a sample, which you collect with a nasal swab, and provides a negative or positive result for each infection.

The idea of an at-home test for the flu, COVID, and RSV is promising. The test would need to provide users with quick, at-home test results to be truly effective. Its price would also need to be cheaper to be more accessible to those without insurance.