If you read your lateral flow test long after 30 mins

[Friedbanana]

Does it show a very faint T line (positive result)? I feel like an idiot, I know I should have set a timer for 30 mins- I will next time. I feel really bad for wasting a test as I know I have to do another one now. But it was my first time doing the test and I checked after 25 mins and it showed negative. I then sat next to the test and started doing work on laptop, and got a bit absorbed and completely forgot to look again, until 1.5 hours after I’d taken the test. I will do another one before I go into work tomorrow, but I just wanted to ask if it’s normal for a very faint line to appear long after the test has been taken? It’s extremely extremely faint!

I've had 3 positive lateral flows that appear in minutes and my son has had 2 that show a line next to the T after 40 minutes. We are both testing tomorrow. If I'm testing positive and he is too surely the timings they say are a bit off

PCR testing tomorrow that should have said

Out of interest how did your PCR’s go?

I read this thread with interest a few days ago as the same thing happened to me, faint lines appearing after 30 minutes. One of my daughters tested positive instantly on a routine LFT on Tuesday - we all had PCR’s that day and only she was positive. On Thursday I tested our other daughter (nearly 2) as she had strange diarrhoea and she had a faint line that took a while to appear at about 25 mins. On Friday we did a PCR for her and did one myself to be sure - she was positive I was negative. I LFT tested on Saturday evening as I was feeling very cold and sweaty and tired but no coronavirus symptoms. A faint line appeared well after 30 minutes. It happened again the next morning. I realised I had done the test wrong (I did throat and nasal swab instead of just nasal) so did another just nasal and it was completely negative so thought that was what made the test turn maybe - it said in the instructions it can give a false positive after reading after 30 minutes. However, I decided to do a PCR test to confirm on Sunday as I didn’t feel right and it turned out I was positive! I did a lateral flow test on Monday morning (after I got the positive PCR result) and it was negative! That evening there was a very faint line when I did another lateral flow test (I wanted to make sure!). The next morning the positive came up straight away and was darker than the line.

So the point of my story is that if you have been exposed to coronavirus and/ or have strange symptoms, do a PCR test. The PCR test didn’t pick it up on me when it was in the incubation phase but did as soon as I had mild symptoms. The lateral flows didn’t pick mine up until 2 days after the PCR did but was great for my daughter who was asymptomatic - perhaps she had had it a while.

I think my faint lines were an error with the test and didn’t actually pick up the virus until much later. If in doubt do a PCR as it will put your mind at rest.

I'm waiting on a second pcr result this week.

Monday morn did a test as my DD was sneezing. I'd had a swig of milk just before and a faint line appeared but only after 90 mins - it was clear up to 30 and I only noticed when I went to throw it away. Then did another 2 LFTs on myself which were clear. DH and DD's also clear but regardless we all went to drive through and all 3 had negative PCR results on the Tuesday.

As my family help with childcare, I couldn't rest and did 2 more LFTs on weds which were negative, and first thing this morning I did another - I'd used mouthwash just before - and a definite but faint line. So me and DD have gone for PCR today again. I'm going mad with waiting and health anxiety so have done another LFT on her (clear) and DH (clear) and 2 of mine completely clear but another of mine had the faintest of lines after 30 mins.

I have NO idea what's going on - LFTs are completely inconsistent so we are just waiting for second PCR results now. That said I started feeling a bit crap on Tuesday night and still feel crap now. Pissed off as we all had covid last year and have very minimal and careful contact with others - I've told the people we were around fri/sat and none have said they've got it or any symptoms etc. Dreading our results!

Gosh I feel for you, the waiting is so stressful isn’t it! Especially when you don’t feel well - you think you are going mad don’t you! It’s hard to not think about it but at least you should know by the tomorrow.

@PurplePurpleTurtle

Gosh I feel for you, the waiting is so stressful isn’t it! Especially when you don’t feel well - you think you are going mad don’t you! It’s hard to not think about it but at least you should know by the tomorrow.

DD and I have had negative results in this morning. So confused! We haven't seen anyone for the last 5 days now plus I've been feeling unwell since Tuesday night - so you'd think if it was covid it would show up in yesterday's PCR. Looks like the lateral flows DO bring up false positives - especially as I cannot think where we could have been exposed.

This is happening to me with flow flex negative after 15-30 mins and then next day is a very feint almost unable to see line
They are void as well after the time bu never had this with other brands and I seem to keep them around a day or two a takes me that long to log results etc
Though weds two of us done one and just looked one has feint grey line and other clear , but not sure who's is who
My ds had a pcr thurs as he had cold symptoms which wAs negative.
Just done another one for me and wil get dh to do one and see if it happens to both
I do tend to use all the liquid when I do mine so wondered if i maybe over do i

It probably was negative after 25 mins. You need to check them after 30 min as after that the result can change. Testing centres will record the result after 30 mins, even if you don't get sent the result until a few hours later.

I would do another one, just to be on the safe side.

Just to confirm the flowflex cannot be trusted! I had another false positive this week, followed by two negative PCRs and no more positive LFTs since. According to flowflex I've had covid on and off for 3-4 weeks.

my8thMNusername Just to let you know that my husband has had Covid about a month before and sometimes tests positive on FlowFlex test - have you had Covid before? We have been told by NHS that you can test positive on and off on Lateral flows for up to 90 days after first contracting it. Maybe it’s picking up some old inactive virus from you?

@PurplePurpleTurtle

my8thMNusername Just to let you know that my husband has had Covid about a month before and sometimes tests positive on FlowFlex test - have you had Covid before? We have been told by NHS that you can test positive on and off on Lateral flows for up to 90 days after first contracting it. Maybe it’s picking up some old inactive virus from you?

Nope had it a year ago though. Have had 6 negative PCRs over this time too and thought those were better at picking up 'old' virus

The 6 PCRs have been done in the last month, I mean (due to dodgy LFTs)

We regularly do lateral flows and all apart from 1 time they always stay completely clear even after half an hour.

DD had a cold and did a negative lateral flow that then showed a very faint grey line after half an hour. Subsequent lateral flows and a PCR were all negative.

I don't know why there was a line. I kept her off school while awaiting the PCR and for some extra days for the cold as a precaution. I don't think it was Covid but I do have a niggling doubt because no other test has ever shown any kind of line.

I test regularly and never get a line no matter how long I leave it….until I tested on Tuesday and got a very faint line pretty much straight away, next day bold line immediately confirm by PCR so if it was early stage COVID and you test again you’d probably get a more conclusive line?

Orient gene tests me and 2 other family members took on Friday morning, negative after the required time... I forgot about them till this morning and all 3 show a second line now.
If I had binned them straight away then we would never know.
I've taken 2 tests today, both negative after the required time and none of us have any symptoms.

But surely you just follow the instructions? So don't eat or drink just before hand, just throw them away after the time is up... Isn't that how they're supposed to work?

@MarvEll yep but we are human and I have 3 children so read the result and moved on to the next job.

Just coming back to this thread after a few months . My daughter still producing lines in her lateral flows . Has done since end of June . I previously posted about the old innova tests where the line appeared at 30-40 mins . Since September and the introduction of flow flex lines appear at 10 mins. This has been going on for 6 months . Many many PCRs are all negative . I’ve found a few people on mumsnet and Twitter that have this issue . If it’s the first time you’ve seen a line then def get a PCR the first few times for reassurance . But there are def a small bunch of people that produce lines on every lateral flow . In 6 months I’ve struggled to find anyone official to give me an answer as to why

We are having better success with the new Orient Gene tests where she is yet to produce a line . If you are only stuck with Flowflex then try testing in afternoon instead of morning - for some reason we can get a line on the morning , none on afternoon and then another one the next morning 🤷‍♀️

I am very pro testing and don’t want to sound anti LFTs as I’m a big believer in using multiple methods for reducing covid. however I want to highlight that sometimes a positive LFT is a false positive - keep trying PCR until you are sure you are negative especially if you’ve been exposed . If you continue to experience multiple false positive then log on the yellow card scheme
coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/