Lateral flow - how quickly was it positive ?

[DinosaurDiana]

I’m doing lateral flows twice a week for work, and the instructions say to read the result after 30 mins. I was just wondering at what point your test showed it was positive if you’ve had a positive test ?

Per the instructions in the kit, you should wait for 20-30 minutes.

I’m not asking what the instructions are, I’m asking anyone who has had a positive test at what point they saw it.

I'd be interested to know this too. The control line can usually be read with in a couple of minutes and it's easy to assume that the Test line would also have shown in the same timeframe.

I wondered too. They always remind me of pregnancy tests which turned positive immediately.

When we were all positive last year it showed up as quick as the control line did, literally a few minutes. On subsequent tests we have waited the full 30 minutes just in case.

@PineappleAce

I'd be interested to know this too. The control line can usually be read with in a couple of minutes and it's easy to assume that the Test line would also have shown in the same timeframe.

On a pregnancy test a positive often takes longer to develop than the test line.

I know they are different and in no way the same, but assume the delay may be because of the way the two chemicals (control and result) are processed/read.

The reason you have to wait the full 30 minutes is because it can show positive (falsely) before it changes to negative at the 30 minute mark.

My daughter's positive came up in seconds

From my friend who tested her asymptomatic son (age 2) as he had been at the childminder with a confirmed positive case, the line came up as it was passing the area before the control came up. They then got him a pcr and isolated themselves, my friend was 7 weeks post 1st jab (we work in healthcare) and continued with her lateral flow tests and then got a positive one 5 days after her son. (Husband 4 days) they were both asymptomatic at that point. The lateral flow registered positive within about 30 seconds and then the control came up. A few days later her husband was bed riden with symptoms. Her symptoms started a day or so later but v v mild.
Another friend works at a school and was supervising the LFT there. She was always concerned that they didn't work. But when they got two positives they pinged up very quickly. Confirmed with PCR.

Ds had a positive, and it was positive almost straight away, you could see the line as the strip was still soaking if you know what I mean.

i always understood you should not look much after 30 minutes, currently doing one, have a timer on,
after 30 minutes, look at result,
input onto computer/app and throw test away

@20thCenturyGhosts

The reason you have to wait the full 30 minutes is because it can show positive (falsely) before it changes to negative at the 30 minute mark.

I did not know this.

9 out of 10 times it will show up immediately. If it is a strong positive, it will be a stronger line than the control strip. However, very weak positives can take longer to develop, but will remain a weak line...

I tested daily when went from negative to positive. The first positive was faint, took a few mins to appear and it was a squinter. It was clearer once 30 mins were up.

It was two days before it became a blazing , darker than control line positive that appeared pretty much instantly.

9 days on and it’s fainter than my first test (I was nosey) but again still can see once 30 mins are up.