Anybody getting repeated false positives with flowflex?

[Naem]

Three times (each time he took one with flowflex) in two months DN tested positive on a LFT, and rushed out and got a PCR immediately. Each time the PCR was negative. Most recently December 22nd. Friday did another one, was positive again - and then took one that he had left of an older brand (within minutes) and got negative. GP says there is nothing he can do, 191 doesn't want to know. Anybody else having this experience? Doesn't seem any point him doing an LFT test if it is always going to show positive and the PCR is then always going to show negative.

My daughter keeps getting positives on flowflex lft too - negative pcrs

Hey, I have had the same thing ONLY with flowflex brand. Every box no matter which one been testing positive on them since 11/12/21 still even today! I’ve had 3 negative PCR the worry I had was before test to release To arrive back in the U.K. for travel that I would do one abroad Similarly to flowflex and it would show positive then I wouldn’t be allowed back in the U.K. but now the rules have changed and we changed our holiday! It’s very stressful. I will now report to yellow card

I've used Flowflex 4 times now and negative each time. Exactly the same with my 6yr old

My DD and I have both been negative on flowflex thus week.

Interesting thread! Wonder whether it would be worth those affected trying to get the attention of a journalist. Victoria Mcdonald at Channel 4 perhaps?

When it's positive you just know, it's clear

I’ve had the opposite. Tested negative for 5 days after sending off a pcr on the 1st day - pcr came back positive!

@GrannytoaUnicorn and @Curiousmouse - but that is what you would have expected. Other members of the family, not being DN have successfully tested negative using flowflex.

The odd (and worrying thing) is the situation that DN has found himself in, of always testing positive on flowflex, despite testing negative on a PCR (which is supposed to be more sensitive) and on other brands. The rest of the family have rallied round, and once we worked out what was going on, we have given him all of our other brands and taken his flowflex - which we are using successfully.

@Bagelsandbrie - your situation is what is supposed to happen if you have a very mild case, and are not very infectious. The PCR test is supposed to be much more sensitive than the LFT, and so will pick up cases where the viral load is much less. The LFT is pretty much only supposed to pick up when you are infectious, ie have a reasonable viral load.

However it should not work the other way around - if the LFT is picking up, then so should the PCR. And the fact that this is happening with only one brand (and with only some people) suggests (at least to me) that this particular brand somehow picks up something that certain people have and others don't although I don't know what.

Question to other people on this thread - are any of the people who are having this happen to them (ie always testing positive with flowflex) female? DN is male, and other people have mentioned sons. Although some of the posters above sound like they might be female. Just wondering if it could be a male hormone or whether i am completely barking up the wrong tree. Although DH has used flowflex successively (as well as myself and DD).

In my case it’s a DS aged 10…I thought the test strip is supposed to react when in contact with antibodies (generated by virus in human body), I don’t know if they have any difference at all between female or male, and for prepubescent kids I wonder if it would make much difference? Either way, I’ve had your experience twice, now I’m holding to the box of the other brand which I use for him only…whilst we use the flowflex, just to avoid the issue (also, the argument with DH who says the line is too faint to be considered. But under question, he admits he sees it too…)

One of the guys from work had a few false positives with flow flex, he got his pcr back, negative....

This is the issue with me every test including PCR negative…. flowflex positive and when I contacted the company they told me to refer to the cross reactivity section on the leaflet in the box which gave as much help as a chocolate tea pot when the analysis of it was that it was 99%> accurate, which I told them in a long winded email to be told there is no advice we can give but we have sent to the manufacturer. I feel for the people who are losing income to this, we have lost money for travel in fear of a similar outcome to return to U.K. however this rule has now changed after we rebooked! I wrote on various posts on socials tagging Sky news, piers Morgan GMB and received nothing so I don’t know how this will be escalated I have also reported to yellow card.

Yep, me. I consistently test faintly positive on flow flex, endless negative pcr tests. Dh and dh all test negative on tears from the same pack, so I can't even blame a dodgy batch.

I've managed to get my hands on 7 lfts of a different mlbrand. I am saving them for when I truly need to test.

It's bizzare.

I get a faint pos with Flowflex when I'm feeling under the weather, but negative PCR's. Just had my second 10 days off with this situation, but as I work with clinically vulnerable patients I can't be too careful. Work colleagues aren't very happy tho especially as I'm vax'd and boosted.
Its only me, and only when I'm feeling unwell- dd always tests flowflex lft negative, as do I when I feel ok.
Last time (end of Nov) I rang everyone to get an answer, and sent emails to local news outlets, my MP, and a couple of virologists and professors but had nothing at all back.
I understand that any doubts about LFT's will create public havoc, and maybe someone high up has links to Flowflex and stands to lose money if they are discredited in any way, but it's not acceptable to have this level of doubt about something we rely on.
I'm going to report via Yellow card and not hold my breath for answers.

Happened to
My husband. He has to use different ones now.

Both me and DH test regularly and have for a long time (cause of our jobs) never had any problems with any of the LFT kits.

I’m female and this is happening to me too.

All the tests I've received by post have been Flowflex but I have just managed to pick up a box of tests from a pharmacy. They were a different brand again, SureScreen, I think, who could be a British manufacturer. Before Christmas I got some from the library and they were Orient Gene. So it might be worth 'shopping around' to see if you can get non-Flowflex ones, or swapping with friends or neighbours.

Otherwise, I suppose you've just got to assume that the faint result from Flowflex is a negative for the affected person and hope that if s/he is positive, there will be a clear line. It's not great.

I have had this issue too -

One thought though - if you are taking a flow flex and then repeating with another brand is it possible it comes back negative because you already removed the virus cells with your first swab and not tonight sample left for the second LFT?

Tonight should be enough

@Rainbowgirl32

I get a faint pos with Flowflex when I'm feeling under the weather, but negative PCR's. Just had my second 10 days off with this situation, but as I work with clinically vulnerable patients I can't be too careful. Work colleagues aren't very happy tho especially as I'm vax'd and boosted. Its only me, and only when I'm feeling unwell- dd always tests flowflex lft negative, as do I when I feel ok. Last time (end of Nov) I rang everyone to get an answer, and sent emails to local news outlets, my MP, and a couple of virologists and professors but had nothing at all back. I understand that any doubts about LFT's will create public havoc, and maybe someone high up has links to Flowflex and stands to lose money if they are discredited in any way, but it's not acceptable to have this level of doubt about something we rely on. I'm going to report via Yellow card and not hold my breath for answers.

Do you mean you are taking time off work even when PCR -ve?

I retested again today with 3 tests and still positive on the flow flex none of the others!! So now I’m 2 months tested positive only on flow flex.
I’m asthmatic and female, I take multiple tablets and inhalers including a hormone pill and a nasal steroid so Not sure if is reacting with any of those. Flowflex company got back to me with a response of your feedback has been sent to the manufacturer! Not good enough! I’m at a dead end now!

DS seems to always get faint, but clear positives with Flowflex. The lines appear within minutes and we are very careful about not eating or drinking before swabbing him. His PCRs are always negative. This has been going on for months, but no answers. It’s hard to get other brands though.
I’ve attached a few of his ‘positive’ tests.

I’ll try again!

This happened to me too. But only with one box. Tested negatively with Flowflex previously but got a faint positive on 31st Dec just like the pictures PPs have posted. Had to let down colleagues at work and spent NYE holed up in my bedroom thinking I was contagious. Negative PCR result the next day, negative on an old school LTF but still positive on the Flowflex.
DH and DCs tested negative using them. I'm 43 and female. I have noticed we are no longer receiving Flowflex in the post when we order LTF tests. Maybe they've stopped using them?
I will add my voice to the reporting system.

Mine are extremely clear thick lines this is now 2 months in! Very stressful