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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you can fake a negative lateral flow test?

37 replies

imperialminty · 07/07/2022 15:46

Just wondering - I’m travelling next week and doing one of those “observed” travel tests via a video call on my phone.

I can’t really get my head around this system… how do they know I’ve done it properly? My Mum who I’m travelling with is convinced people will be able to pretend to rub the swab round their nose but surely it’s not that easy?

Has anyone done one and can say how it works?

OP posts:
ohmygash · 07/07/2022 15:48

why do you want to know how to fake it?

Original poster
imperialminty · 07/07/2022 15:50

@ohmygash I don’t, but I’m going on a cruise and my mum is panicking lots of positive people will be boarding after faking it and I can’t really explain how it works to her.

(tbh I think we’ll get covid whatever but I’m happy to take the risk!)

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 07/07/2022 15:54

Well yes I’m sure you could. Either just sticking up your nose quickly without turning it, or even just doing the test without putting it up your nose at all.

Ponderingwindow · 07/07/2022 15:57

They seem very easy to do wrong and induce a false negative.

biggreenhouse · 07/07/2022 15:57

I had covid a few weeks ago and tried one test of barely touching the swab, like in and out of nose quick, shallow and not turning. Still got instant positive result.

Original poster
imperialminty · 07/07/2022 15:57

@biggreenhouse thats so interesting!

OP posts:
SnowyPetals · 07/07/2022 16:00

I suppose if someone were being really underhand they might be able to switch the test for one they had just poured water on, but you'd probably need to practise!

Awakened22 · 07/07/2022 16:03

It’s a bit hit or miss. When I did one, the observer said I wasn’t putting it far enough up my nose and then seemed to time how long I was twisting for. He then made sure the tube was being pinched as I swirled it round. He didn’t see me drop it into the cassette though and I probably could have had a “negative” test cassette ready to show him. When my friend did it with the same company they made her write something on the “official” cassette and show her putting the solution into it so would have been harder to fake.

Craver · 07/07/2022 16:05

So you fake a positive Covid test go on your holiday and spread Covid to someone who becomes really ill or dies. But no worries at least you have had a nice time.
Some people are beyond selfish.

Wynwoodwalls · 07/07/2022 16:05

Our one would have been really easy to fake - out of 4 of us on a supervised test only 1 of us was on camera

addler · 07/07/2022 16:05

I wondered the same. We had a 20 minute wait to read results in which we kept the call on hold, so we could have switched it out for another negative test if we wanted. There was no checking of test serial numbers or anything like that, if they even have them.

Mumoftwoinprimary · 07/07/2022 16:07

Craver · 07/07/2022 16:05

So you fake a positive Covid test go on your holiday and spread Covid to someone who becomes really ill or dies. But no worries at least you have had a nice time.
Some people are beyond selfish.

You haven’t read properly. The Op’s mum is worried that other people will fake negative tests and so give her Covid.

Vallmo47 · 07/07/2022 16:08

Interesting question OP 🤨

Fairyliz · 07/07/2022 16:10

DH and I did one of these for a cruise and you could have faked it if you had wanted too (we didn’t! ).
You could have not put it up your nose properly or swopped cassettes. It’s just a way for the cruise companies to show they are doing something. If they were really bothered they would have staff to test you at terminal.

DasGirl · 07/07/2022 16:11

It is hugely open to cheating OP
The one I did for travel didn't have to be observed. We just registered them, did them and uploaded within the required timeslot. But it could have been the same family member doing all the tests🤷🏼‍♀️
I think a lot of it is just done on trust

CuteNFluffy · 07/07/2022 16:12

Not really. If they are observed properly it would be pretty hard to fake imho. I've taken a few for travel to the US when they were still a thing and had to write my name on the cassette, they scanned the code and observed the entire process.

Original poster
imperialminty · 07/07/2022 16:13

Interesting replies, seems like a bit of a mix which is sort of what I expected. We’re using the cruise company’s approved tester so hopefully they come down on the more thorough side, but I guess a lot of it is down to trust as it’s been throughout the pandemic. I’ll try and reassure my Mum! (Although good god - getting her using the video call is going to be a nightmare I can tell!)

I was wondering how the wait worked - do you have to sit and make conversation for 20 minutes?! My worst nightmare!

OP posts:
TheTerfTavern · 07/07/2022 16:14

My son did one face to face before we went on holiday

he said
“it was great mum, she hardly made me stick it in, nothing like you do “ 🙄

so I don’t trust these things at all really.

MillicentMargaretAmanda · 07/07/2022 16:14

Sadly OP, you're right and you're likely to get it anyway. A friend went on a cruise a few weeks ago. They had to provide proof of a negative test to initially embark and then most of the ship disembarked and embarked at every port without testing. The entire party had covid by the time they got home.
I caught it a couple of weeks ago. From friends who had no symptoms and had LFTd out of courtesy as there was a CEV person in the party. Lft was negative. They become symptomatic the next day and I did three days after that...
Obviously don't tell your mum all of this but maybe make sure you have a decent amount of paracetamol and tissues between you just in case?

GreenWheat · 07/07/2022 16:15

Craver · 07/07/2022 16:05

So you fake a positive Covid test go on your holiday and spread Covid to someone who becomes really ill or dies. But no worries at least you have had a nice time.
Some people are beyond selfish.

Oh dear, 2.5 years in and people are still wading in the selfish comments without actually reading the OP.....

Indoctro · 07/07/2022 16:16

Yea you can by just putting the liquid on the test without putting swap in it

The liquid on its own produces a negative tests

That's what lots of people on holiday abroad last year for the return to uk tests were doing in there hotel rooms

Craver · 07/07/2022 16:24

Apologies I misread the post. Sorry

Original poster
imperialminty · 07/07/2022 16:30

@MillicentMargaretAmanda this is what I expect, and we’re both fully vaxxed so hopefully we’ll be okay. My Mum travels with a portable pharmacy so we won’t be short of paracetamol!

I was only boosted last week and I had covid back in May so I’m hoping my antibodies are super strong!

OP posts:
Babdoc · 07/07/2022 16:32

It’s a bit pointless with a cruise unless you don’t let anyone disembark to sightsee in any of the ports! Because lots of them could potentially pick up Covid and bring it on board at each stop.
Are they going to re-test everyone at each port and abandon anybody with a positive test, sailing away without them?

EmilyBolton · 07/07/2022 16:36

Ion the othe4 hand, I had covid last month. Was pretty bad with the runs and vomiting as well as temperature, aches, sore throat. I had 3 days of negative LFT and only on day 5 of symptoms did it come back with a positive- and very quickly.
so even if people are testing it is no guarantee they haven’t got covid. It’s back to old advice that if you have symptoms then isolate. Which I did (partly cos I was too exhausted to do anything except sleep ),
So if it’s because your mum worried it’s not going to help her knowing if people fake. People can be infected in early stages as test negative. If she’s afraid of getting covid it is simply better to avoid crowds currently as rates are so high. Short of cancelling mask up and sanitise your hands as per “old” days.

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