The availability of a four-in-one respiratory virus diagnostic for home use may be a boon to consumers, but some clinicians say it should not be used as a substitute for a physician’s guidance.
The Flowflex Plus rapid antigen diagnostic — which detects respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza A and B, and COVID — is now available on retailers’ shelves, for around $16.
The FDA approved Acon Laboratories’ diagnostic in October 2025, making it the first-ever RSV home test and the first home test for children aged 6-23 months.
Before that approval, consumers could order a test kit from Labcorp that would detect those viruses. But it cost $129 and took several days to get results via polymerase chain reaction.
Pediatric Appointment Still Needed
The new rapid antigen diagnostic might be a convenience, but it could lead to missteps, said Joanna J. Parga-Belinkie, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and an associate professor of pediatrics and clinical neonatologist at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
She said it would be useful to test for flu and COVID because antiviral medications are available if it is early in the course of the illness. “What makes RSV different than those viruses is that there’s no treatment,” Parga-Belinkie told Medscape Medical News.
While testing might give information, “I don’t think for a parent, it changes the need for chatting with your pediatrician, talking to them about symptoms, and getting advice for symptom management when you have RSV,” she said.
Supportive care is the only option for RSV, said Parga-Belinkie.
It’s important to prevent RSV, if possible, she said. Babies and young children can benefit from a dose of clesrovimab or nirsevimab, monoclonal antibody treatments that produce antibodies against RSV. “That’s a real, good layer of protection for babies who are in their first RSV season,” she said, adding that older adults and pregnant people should get an RSV vaccine.
The over-the-counter diagnostics “should always be paired with guidance from a family physician,” said Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, in a statement provided to Medscape Medical News.
At-Home Test Sampling Reliability
Nosal said the tests’ “reliability varies widely depending on how the sample is collected and the timing of the test relative to symptom onset.”
The home use tests “may have lower sensitivity than tests performed in a clinical setting, which means they can miss infections, especially early in the course of illness,” she said.
The package insert reported that the Flowflex has a sensitivity of 91.6% for SARS-CoV-2, 92.9% for influenza A and B, and 94.1% for RSV. The specificity values were 99.9%, 99.8%, and 99.8%, respectively.
Still, a clinician likely knows a patient’s medical history and “can help interpret results, assess test reliability and determine whether additional testing or treatment is needed,” Nosal said.
And she gives timeworn advice: “I recommend staying home when sick, washing hands, and avoiding contact with others, particularly high-risk individuals.”
Parga-Belinkie and Nosal reported no disclosures.
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