Most of the time, the flu is self-diagnosed and individuals never seek medical treatment. In a clinical setting, diagnosis typically involves taking a patient history and possibly performing tests (some tests provide “rapid” results that are available in less than 1 hour; some, more accurate, tests require several days).[1] Additionally, clinicians will seek to rule out other, similar conditions, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (covid-19), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the common cold, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and bacterial pneumonia.
How is the flu diagnosed?
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•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
The flu is often self-diagnosed, and many people do not seek medical treatment. In clinical settings, diagnosis involves taking a patient history and may include testing while also ruling out other similar conditions like COVID-19 and RSV.