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Original poster

Close contact and faint line on LFT but…

27 replies

BewareTheLibrarians · 02/02/2022 11:17

lighthearted lateral flow test “fun”

Guess my future results!
Having to take daily LFTs as a close contact of a positive case. Did my third one this morning, and it was fine at 30 minutes - no line, even checked with my phone torch to make sure. Left it on the table (slattern), came back an hour-ish later and there was a faint but noticeable line.

What do you reckon the next one will show?

Negative? (because the line was just because of leaving it too long)

Positive? (Because close contact)

Obviously you have no way of knowing, but I’m not doing another one until tonight as I’m not going anywhere so I’m really just feeding my curiosity here.

I’d be interested to hear if other people had no line at 15/30 mins, a faint line after the time was up, then tested positive on their next test. Or not! Smile

OP posts:
SmellyOldOwls · 02/02/2022 11:20

I've had faint lines with abandoned tests before but was negative. I'm positive now and all my lines appeared instantly!

SummerHouse · 02/02/2022 11:20

Positive.

We had this. Line didn't show till after the time and was very faint. PCR confirmed positive.

FergoMcFergFace · 02/02/2022 11:43

Following because I'm in the same position this morning, although I'm on day seven as a close contact. Gonna leave it to brew a bit longer before I do another test.

FergoMcFergFace · 02/02/2022 12:40

Just took another test three hours later. Positive. Faint but definite this time.

Original poster
BewareTheLibrarians · 02/02/2022 12:56

Hmm, seems a little bit more on the side of turning positive.
@SmellyOldOwls and @FergoMcFergFace I hope you all feel ok and get well soon if you’re feeling rough!

@SummerHouse how long did was it between the lft and the positive pcr? I’m wondering whether to test tonight or give it a bit more time and test tomorrow morning. Must have been a frustrating limbo for you as the lft wasn’t a clear positive.

And it think, If I’d thrown it away at 30 minutes I never would have known. Annoying if the next one is positive! (Although I can only have infected my sofa today, and possibly the cat.)

OP posts:
Forshorttheycallmecomp · 02/02/2022 12:58

My son went to school this morning with a negative test after 30 mins despite his brother being positive.

By the time I came back from school there was the faintest of lines.

Sounds like he’ll be off tomorrow, and already feeling guilty about today..

ifonly4 · 02/02/2022 13:33

I'm a close contact, my DH tested positive yesterday (LFT). He didn't have a line before or after 30 mins on his LFT the previous day.

I definitely have something in my system (none of the three covid symptoms). I actually did a LFT Monday pm as my throat felt iffy, DH tested positive yesterday so did two yesterday and one this morning. No sign of any lines within 30 mins or after.

Original poster
BewareTheLibrarians · 03/02/2022 17:49

It happened again Blush

We did 3 tests last night (me and kids). All negative at 30 mins. Checked again at 50/60 mins and both kids tests were clear negatives but mine, and only mine, had the line again.

If it was faulty/weird tests I’d expect all 3 to get a evap line, or maybe 1 other out of the three, but me twice in a row is a bit weird.

A “no” on the test would be great, a “yes” would be annoying but at least I’d know, but a “meh dunno maybe whatever like” is just frustrating!

Roll on another swab, if I even have any nasal membrane left.

OP posts:
butterpuffed · 03/02/2022 17:54

The leaflet says to ignore whatever the test says if left longer than 30 minutes.

Mokoloko · 03/02/2022 18:01

Try one today the line should be darker if it's positive

Original poster
BewareTheLibrarians · 03/02/2022 18:07

Very true butterpuffed that’s what’s keeping me sane Grin It’s just weird that I’ve been doing this brand for a couple of weeks and haven’t seen a line no matter how long I left it (obviously checked at 30 mins and logged that result, but often leave them on the side to throw away later) Now I’m a close contact this line is appearing, but like you say, too late to be a positive.

Weirdly though, I had similar on a different brand - line appeared after the deadline - but subsequent tests were all negative. This two in a row is new. And very annoying.

OP posts:
FergoMcFergFace · 03/02/2022 19:27

As you're a close contact, it might be worth going for a PCR, @BewareTheLibrarians?

After my second test came up positive yesterday (I was the poster who'd also had a faint line after the 30 mins were up Smile), I had an incredibly faint line this morning. And I definitely have symptoms now: runny nose, headache, fatigue. I don't feel dreadful, but I was surprised my result this morning was so weak.

Luckymummytoone · 04/02/2022 06:41

This happened with my sons - it was 2 days later he had a clear positive x

Sleepyteach · 04/02/2022 11:40

I was testing daily for work, I did a test in the car on way to work as I’d forgotten one morning, was negative when I arrived 30 mins later. Was a bit headachey that night but put it down to spending a lot of time at my computer that day. Woke up feeling the same the next morning and did my test which instantly came up positive, booked a PCR and when I got in the car happened to glance at the previous days test which like yours showed a faint but clear line.

randomsabreuse · 04/02/2022 11:48

Positive soon. My first two "negative" tests after ending isolation (D11 and 12) did this before staying clear afterwards. I reckon it's a low level of infection. Or you're going to get away with it and your vaccine is doing its job...

Pixies74 · 04/02/2022 11:53

I would try doing separate nose and throat ones.. After having a very very squinter of a line from doing both nose and throat and a blazing red one from just doing throat, I'm of the opinion that it depends where the virus is congregating...

I had a sore throat and no nasal symptoms, so I reckon that doing the nose swab after throat meant that my nose mucus was masking my throat germs..

Pixies74 · 04/02/2022 11:56

Very very faint*

FergoMcFergFace · 04/02/2022 13:49

That's interesting, @Pixies74, because I have mainly nasal symptoms and no sore throat, but when I did just a nasal swab, the result was negative. When I swabbed my tonsils, it was positive.

Underparmummy · 04/02/2022 15:03

Depends on what the line looks like I think.

After the 3 mins on negative tests you can get a weird wobbly, zig zag pink'tide line' mark near the T mark. All looks a bit flooded.

However when dd2 had it ds had a funny turn one evening after his bath, we took a lat flow, it showed negative, put it on a radiator , forgot about it. Two days later he was positive. Then ds found the test on his radiator a good week or so later and it showed a faint almost grey line but very straight, definite edges and right alongside the T.

Underparmummy · 04/02/2022 15:25

after the *30 mins

Original poster
BewareTheLibrarians · 04/02/2022 16:09

Hmm! The lines have been very straight, pinker at first but grey after a few hours.

Trying again tonight with a different brand - FlowFlex rather than old style long swab test. I’ll try a throat one if the nasal swab comes up with nothing.

Lucky me Grin

OP posts:
waitinginthecar · 04/02/2022 16:22

Sounds like you're wasting a lot of tests.

Original poster
BewareTheLibrarians · 04/02/2022 17:55

@waitinginthecar

  1. Close contacts have to do daily tests.
  2. I’m doing one a day, as per my job’s request.
  3. I don’t make the rules.
OP posts:
Xds1453 · 04/02/2022 20:17

Isolation is stopping in March not being rude but why are you so worried ? It’s just a mild cold now

Original poster
BewareTheLibrarians · 04/02/2022 21:23

@Xds1453 I have no idea where you’ve got “so worried” from. The very first word is “lighthearted” (although I’m probably being generous in assuming that some people even read that far in a post.)

And I’m not testing because I’m “so worried” that it’s more than a “mild cold”, I’m testing as IT IS A REQUIREMENT OF MY JOB.

Let me know if you have any other questions that can already be answered by the thread though Smile

OP posts:
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