False positive rapid test??

[Poppydex]

My dad has a rapid test done today as we can now get them with no symptoms in our county.
How likely is it that he has got a false positive? Is it a thing? He's just had a normal covid test so will wait and see.
Just want to know people experiences.
He has major health anxiety and is now complaining of chest pains. Feel so bad for him. He has no symptoms apart from sore throat - he didn't know it was a symptom and only told us just now.

I know lots of doctors who had positive tests for. The rapid tests so sent home from work only to be called back in as was a false positive.

Hope your dad is ok.

@Poppydex

My dad has a rapid test done today as we can now get them with no symptoms in our county. How likely is it that he has got a false positive? Is it a thing? He's just had a normal covid test so will wait and see. Just want to know people experiences. He has major health anxiety and is now complaining of chest pains. Feel so bad for him. He has no symptoms apart from sore throat - he didn't know it was a symptom and only told us just now.

Any test could give a false positive

He should assume the positive is correct, but also take another test to confirm/disprove the rapid test

www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

In theory, the lateral flow (rapid) tests are less sensitive. They need higher viral loads to work. So there are more chances of a false negative than a false positive.

Hope your dad is ok and it is a false positive.

False positives seem unusual due to the specificity of the test. The sensitivity is very low though so chances of a false negative is much higher.

Presuming they are the same Lateral Flow tests that have been used in England?

Thankyou for all your comments.
I know it's more likely to be accurate but just wanted to see the chances.
Will find out soon enough.
Yeah we are in North Somerset.

I read somewhere it was 3/1000 false positives for the quick lateral flow tests so being asymptomatic, even for someone elderly, is way more likely than a false positive