What does the faint line on your rapid COVID test Still Means
You're COVID-Positive
Cases increased 96% in just three weeks, one of
the fastest growth rates since the pandemic began.
Daily symptom cases are now well over 200,000,
rising from 114,030 on 1 June to 223,820 on Friday.
Given that so many people are figuring it out,
some people may need to be reminded how to do the test. Here's everything you
need to know.
What if the lines are blurry
Drop the saliva sample into the well of the test
and a red line should appear relatively quickly next to the “C”. This line
should be visible whenever you do a side flow test.
You have tested positive when you see a red line
next to the “T”. No line means it's tested negative.
Even if the line next to the “T” is very faint, it
means the test is positive.
However, sometimes reading too late can give false
positives, so you should check carefully before taking the instructions for the
lateral flow test.
The instructions will tell you how long to wait
before confirming the test. Most say between 15-30 minutes.
NHS A&E Physician Nathan Hudson-Peacock said
that the second line that appears after 30 minutes may not show a positive
result.
He added that a "smart approach" would
be to pay special attention to precautions such as social distancing, hand
washing and wearing a mask, and to continue testing as regularly as possible.
Faint lines mean less contagious?
No official government or NHS advice says that a
faint line means less infection.
However, Dr. Connor Bamford, a virologist at
Queen's University, said: Belfast Telegraph There is such a case.
If the LFT catches something, it is very likely to
become infected.
You are positive and you are infected, so if you
can see anything in that LFT, you should treat it as corona and isolate it.”
Where can I buy a lateral flow test?
The government no longer
offers free side flow tests to the general public. You must purchase it
yourself.
There is a list of government-approved suppliers
that recommend a test purchase. You can find the list here.
All of these suppliers have declared themselves
against government minimum standards. However, it is not necessary to purchase
the test from one of these providers, and some providers that have completed
their self-declaration have chosen not to be published on government listings.
Approved tests are readily available at local
pharmacies as well as major street pharmacies such as Boots, Superdrug, and
Lloyds Pharmacy.
You can also buy it from some supermarkets and
corner stores.
Boots is selling a single side flow test kit for
£2. Two Flow flex test packs are available for £3.95, four for £7.90, five for
£9.80 and a 25-pack for £49.
Lloyds is selling a single test for £1.89 and a
pack of 10 for £9.29.
Prices are similar to Super drugs. One test costs
£1.95 and there are also 3-packs, 5-packs and 25-packs.
What should I do if I test positive?
Advice on COVID-19 depends on where you live in the UK.
Although self-isolation is no longer a legal requirement in the UK, the NHS advises people with COVID-19 to “stay home and avoid contact with others” to reduce the spread of the virus.
In particular, people at high risk for COVID-19, such as the elderly or people with weakened immune systems, should avoid close contact even if they have been vaccinated.
Infected people should try to work from home whenever possible.
A positive case should stay home for 5 days from the day of the test and avoid contact with others.
The Granite City
Scotland's National Health Information Service also recommends self-isolation for those who test positive for coronavirus, but recommends scheduling a free PCR test.
They should then be quarantined for 10 days from the day they started symptoms. If the PCR or sidestream test results are positive but there are no symptoms, you must self-isolate for 10 days from the test date.
Self-isolation can be terminated early if the lateral flow test results are negative for two consecutive 24-hour intervals starting on the 6th day.
For example, if you are a fully vaccinated close contact, such as someone living with an infected person, you can get a daily lateral flow test instead of self-quarantine.
Close contacts who have not been fully vaccinated should self-isolate for 10 days and schedule a PCR test.
Wales
The Welsh government has advised anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate. Anyone experiencing major symptoms should also be isolated and tested for lateral flow. This test can still be ordered free of charge.
0 Comments