Why do all my LFTs look like this?

[Ijustneedtosleep21]

For the last 5 weeks every time I've tested. 4 PCR's in that time all negative. How am I meant to rely on them? DH's always tests from same pack with not even a hint of a line....

My DD is the same.
She had covid in May and since then all LFT have come back as faint postives.
She he has has around 15 PCRs in the past few monthsts- all negative, hs is not unwell at all,But very unnerving.
She is a nurse in intensve care dept- she is aways open to her management team about test results- they have told her to ignore her LFT results and rely on PCRs instead.

The Flowflex instruction booklet does refer to a coloured line in the test line (T) region .

OP., that's a negative result - be grateful !

Have you followed the instructions not to have anything to eat or drink for at least 30 minutes beforehand? I always do mine first thing in the morning before I’ve eaten or drunk anything to minimise the possibility of food contamination.

Failing that, are you reading it in the 15-30 minute window?

It's definitely positive op. I had the same last month.

The lfts look for a specific antigen that our bodies produce when infected with covid.
The only way it made sense for me is that I had asymptomatic end of Oct and the lfts were still picking up, pcrs were negative.

There's a 0.4% chance of a false positive so to get multiple would be really unlikely to be anything other than covid.

The fact they're nasal only swabs mean they won't be contaminated with food.

I think the only way you'll know is to get an antibody test in 6 weeks, but even they're not 100%. There are some that can pick up natural infection as opposed to vaccine acquired ones.

I put water on a lft and the line was darker than that but all mine have been negative so it looks like my water had covid

I thought the line needed to be pink to be positive but I read an article recently where someone knew they had Covid and the lft result was a grey line. The article seemed to be implying that any line -no matter the colour - is a positive.

This v v faint line just happened to me!! Did another brand and its totally clear.
DH had 3 positive lft and just confirmed pcr positive so we are in isolation ladt 4 days anyway but it's annoying! I'm trying to get a pcr its hard to get one at the moment in Ireland. They are wiped out as soon as they go online. In my case I'm waiting for a positive though so for you it must be SOoooo frustrating OP

This just happened to me but I do have symptoms and it is pink. But my PCR a few days ago was negative. I am getting another PCR tomorrow.

Was about to start my own thread when I saw this one. Same thing happens to my DD. Line comes up post half an hour though and yet the rest off us remain clear. No symptoms and negative PCR so I’m ignoring them now. She is in year 6 so doesn’t have to do them for school yet but may have to not give permission if Secondary are still doing them in September as don’t want her constantly isolating until PCRs come back negative.

I had a line like yours, although I think mine was a little more pink, on a flow flex one. Although I didn't look at it until 10 mins (was clearblue then) then an hour and I had eaten too soon before the test. Pcr came back negative.

From various threads on here, and from personal experience, it seems as though extremely faint lines (which I'd say yours is) is very likely to be negative. Typically a positive LFT is very clear and shows almost immediately... and a weak line is just one less strong than the control line, not a line that's super faint.

I would see it as a pregnancy test ie. Unless there’s actual COLOUR on the second line it is negative

@LyndaSnellsSniff

This happens with my DCs test occasionally too. Every time, we trot off for a PCR and every time they come back negative. Yep, Flowflex.

I wonder if they pick up ANY Corona virus and not just Covid-19?

If that was the case there's be millions of false positives as other coronaviruses are very common!

@NellieBertram

An extremely faint grey line isn't a positive - it's probably just where the pink line would be, if it was positive.

Agree. Your two pics show negative lf tests. You should see mine. Very positive for over 10 days. Don’t look for problems when there are none is my advice.

Just for balance - this is my flowflex test from last Saturday - I felt awful (& yes subsequent PCR also positive)
The pink line appeared immediately as the liquid travelled up the test

Thankfully negative by day 6 so could get out on Christmas Eve (as per the new "rools")

I think part of the issue is that Government wants to provide clear advice but erring on the side of cautious.

So food for instance. It may, possibly distort result but very unlikely. But there's no harm in trying to avoid tiny numbers of false results

15 minute for result. Positive results actually normally take seconds - tiny number may take minutes especially if the liquid seeps very slowly up the test. They just don't want people to throw away after a minute when there's a very tiny chance of the result hasn't quite appeared.

It's the same with the "faint line"....the issue is some people (including myself
previously) have over-interpreted it.

Update - PCR negative! Wtf

@CiderWithLizzie

My dd has also tested positive each week in a flowflex for the last 2 months. Negative pcr and negative on old style lateral flow tests.

Exactly the same with my DD. Then when she actually had covid thr LFTs were negative.

They seem to be really accurate for the rest of us but not for DD.

@NellieBertram

An extremely faint grey line isn't a positive - it's probably just where the pink line would be, if it was positive.

I get a faint grey line every time I test. This has been with FlowFlex and also a previous (nose and throat swab) brand. PCRs always negative.

But what I don't understand is why, when he uses tests out of the same box, my DH tests are totally clear.

There must be something in me and others which causes this.

119 tell me that any line of any colour (pink/grey) must be followed up with a PCR.

@ConcernedAuntie exactly the same with me and the lines are faint pink rather than grey 🤷🏻‍♀️

That’s negative, the feint grey line can happen but it’s not a positive indicator

@Paddingtonthebear

That’s negative, the feint grey line can happen but it’s not a positive indicator

Paddington-do you have a link to officially confirm this please. It would conisiderably reduce my stress levels to not think I m positive everytime I test.

There seem to be many cases of this happening on MN - it would also be interesting to see that someone scientific has looked into it.

No link but it’s what my nurse friend told me

The instructions in the LFT packs say that any line, however faint, is positive. Nothing about if it's grey, it's negative. Mine were so faint grey as to be practically invisible but I was still positive.

That doesn't account for your predicament OP. There does seem to be an issue with people testing repeatedly positive on LFT even after several negative PCRs. It really needs looking into, particularly as negative tests are required for certain activities/travel etc.