Ugh- now what? On holiday and DS (16) had a headache and did an lft- initially neg but after 2hrs has a line

[ThankyouForListening]

Ugh
What it says in the title.
We are staying in a self catering house.
Just me, dh and ds.
Ds had a headache today

Just make sure your ds won't spread it to other people whatever he has?

Recent study shows that lft is actually quite accurate, like 80+% accurate, but when they are most likely to spread.

I had a similar situation, thought a test was negative then went to throw away after a few hours and there was a very faint line (major panic as my daughter had then spent the evening with her grandparents). LFT the next morning was also positive as was a PCR test taken that day. Sorry but I would act as if it was positive unless you get firm confirmation that it isn't. I think it was caught very early and she didn't pass on to anyone else.

We’ve had lots of marks like this on tests recently- agree it’s a watermark/dye issue.

Maybe he has a headache.

@clockover It may be local authority (for school pupils) and health board (for staff) specific guidance but we’ve had this for about the last 5 weeks. It’s pretty vague - it just the 3 core PCR testing symptoms but also sneezing, headaches, fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea that should trigger the need for a PCR.

@clockover have a look here cavuhb.nhs.wales/news/home-page-news/covid-19-tests-now-open-to-people-in-cardiff-and-the-vale-with-a-wider-range-of-symptoms/

Thanks, that's interesting, but at the same time very area specific rather than the norm. I can't imagine people having to test every time they had a headache - I would be there every week

I think it’s positive.

This happened with ds. We did the test then forgot to look. We then did a second lateral flow that came back with a string positive, and followed with a PCR that was positive. He was asymptomatic.

That’s a patch of dye the line would be directing under the T that line isn’t even in the right place. The positive came up before the control line for us.

Every rapid test I've ever taken and then set aside and forgotten about had a positive line when I found it again hours later. All were negative at the end of the time in the instructions. I can't have been positive every single time, weeks apart, over a period of several months. This is why they tell you not to look at it after 30 minutes.

They usually turn positive almost straight away. They say to leave it 30mins just incase but this is never usually needed if it’s positive.

Just so you know for the past week I’ve had a continuous cough, sore throat, headache, loss of smell and taste and a high temperature - but I’ve taken 2 PCR tests and both are negative. So your son might just be getting a ‘normal’ bug.

Ours turned clearly positive immediately, the test line came up before the control line. It is quite clear in the instructions not to read the test after 30 mins for this reason.

A headache isn't a symptom, where abouts are you? Are you holidaying in the UK? As you can pick up a box of LFTs from most pharmacies, there is a list on gov.uk where you can get them from

@Mulhollandmagoo

Ours turned clearly positive immediately, the test line came up before the control line. It is quite clear in the instructions not to read the test after 30 mins for this reason.

A headache isn't a symptom, where abouts are you? Are you holidaying in the UK? As you can pick up a box of LFTs from most pharmacies, there is a list on gov.uk where you can get them from

A headache is definitely a symptom especially in children. Was one of the first and most persistent of all the symptoms when my child was positive so shouldn't be ignored.

@ThankyouForListening Get a PCR test or at the very least another lateral flow test from a chemist but treat as though positive until you know either way and if positive go home so your son can isolate and you're home if you catch it too as who's to say you'll be well enough to drive.

If you're in the UK then you can get more LFT through the post- they generally arrive the next day, a test centre or a pharmacy.
You can't draw any conclusion from the existing test as results were after the recommended time to check.

Headache is most definitely a symptom. Delta presents differently from the variant we had back in March 2020 but for whatever reason PHE isn't updating the symptoms to test. Headache is actually one of the very top symptoms. Have a read of this:

covid.joinzoe.com/post/new-top-5-covid-symptoms

If he is feeling unwell he could stay in today whilst you pick up more LFT tests from a chemist. If positive again, PCR. That is what I would do, though aware should probably jump straight to PCR.
I work in a school and awful non-covid bugs about.
At 16, feeling rubbish, he probably doesn't want to go out anyway and hopefully, you can leave him on his own...

I'd go out and get some LFTs from the chemist first thing. Provided he's feeling ok this morning and the LFT is ok, I'd continue with the holiday, perhaps being careful around others with masks, distancing. Any element of doubt though, get a PCR.

@PurpleOkapi

Every rapid test I've ever taken and then set aside and forgotten about had a positive line when I found it again hours later. All were negative at the end of the time in the instructions. I can't have been positive every single time, weeks apart, over a period of several months. This is why they tell you not to look at it after 30 minutes.

I've taken close to a hundred of these things since January due to work. I'm totally crap in the fact they can lie around for days before they get binned, but generally about 10 hrs until I get back from work. I've never had one look different after 15 mins, let alone 30 mins or more. Always negative (thankfully) and they have never changed. Same with the husband and kids ones. I wonder why some peoples change and others don't.

He’s done a pcr this morning and we are staying in today.
It’s chucking it down and the dogs are knackered after a lot of walking the last few days.
We are having a sofa day.
He’s much better… so who knows

The test looks like this now - left it overnight.
I really do feel that it is a smudge as he does seem to get a lot of smudges. I think he puts too much liquid on every time.

OP that test does not look positive. It’s not a line, just a smudge. Good you got the PCR but I wouldn’t worry. X

This is reassuring, I’ve done a lft this morning as pinged as a close contact and have what I thought was a cold. Very faint thin grey line appeared at T well after a strong dark line at C. Have been for a PCR just in case but as it’s half term I’ve seen family/friends over the last 48hrs. Currently isolating from DH and DC while I await the results.

Pcr negative and he’s fine now too.

Almost every single one I've done has looked like this when I've left them. They're invalid. I wouldn't read them.