Combination Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs): A One-Stop Shop for Detecting Respiratory Illness

Feeling unwell but unsure if it’s COVID, flu, or RSV? Combination Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) offer a quick and convenient way to identify the culprit behind your respiratory woes.

These advanced RATs go beyond standard COVID tests, detecting not just the SARS-CoV-2 virus but also influenza A/B and potentially even RSV (depending on the specific test). This is particularly helpful since symptoms of these illnesses can be confusingly similar.

For people at high risk of complications from respiratory infections, knowing the exact cause of their illness is crucial. Rapid combination tests provide valuable information to doctors, enabling them to prescribe the most appropriate treatment. For example, antiviral medications are effective against influenza but not RSV, and vice versa for some COVID cases.

Available now in Australian medical experts see great promise in combination RATs, especially within healthcare settings.