Patients with a GP referral can now receive a swab at SA Health’s drive-through testing clinic for:

• Adenovirus
• Bordetella pertussis
• Influenza A; Influenza B
• Human metapneumovirus
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae
• Parainfluenza 1; Parainfluenza 2; Parainfluenza 3
• Rhinovirus
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

The results, instead of being texted to a patient’s phone, will be sent to the GP. SA Pathology estimates that multi viral testing wait times to be around 24 hours.

SA Pathology said it would boost the number of multi-viral swabs it can process each day from 500 to 1000.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said patients with flu-like symptoms should contact their GP to consider accessing combined testing.

“If you have symptoms and are in a high-risk group that will benefit from flu treatments, you should speak to your GP about a combined COVID-19 and flu test,” she said in a statement.

“This will ensure that you can access COVID-19 or flu treatments quickly.

“It is important that your doctor is involved with this extended testing to facilitate access to treatment if necessary. This is recommended for people who are at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19 or influenza.”

The multi-viral testing push will not impact the provision of free COVID-19 tests as normal, the State Government said.