Darker line mean higher viral load?

[Driedlavender]

Is that how it works?
The line on my lateral flow is much darker than my DP’s. Does this mean I’ve got a worse illness or have a higher viral load?

No, possibly means you just did the test better!

I'm not sure either way, though it's been debated a bit in my house, though I can see the argument that it might have to do with test taking or just the test itself (especially in my house where we seem to have 3-4 different makes of tests).

My DD2 had the darkest line and was the last to go back to testing negative even though she tested positive first. She was quite annoyed about that (especially as she didn't start testing positive until she was feeling better...) so we've reasoned with her that she may have had a higher viral load and so took longer to get it out of her system.

She wasn't the worst hit - though that may be subjective - but she mainly just slept a bit more and had a fever & sniffles while DS1 who had a very faint positive was throwing up and looked like death walking for days and I had a day where I spent maybe 3 hours total upright I was so dizzy and achey and the only one to get all the 'typical' symptoms and then nearly all the others they ask about (I still keep getting a metallic taste).

My positive line was ridiculously dark. I was completely asymptomatic, so in my case, it definitely wasn’t an indication of severity of illness. Obviously I have no idea about viral load. I was also able to get ‘early release’ as my test was negative on days 5 and 6.

@Driedlavender

I’ve got a ridiculously dark line on Day 9 and I have no temperature. I feel okish, not quite normal.

Please don’t rely on my thoughts, because I’m absolutely not an expert - but I’m using the old lateral flows (not flow flex). There is only a tiny amount of solution to mix in, and I’m wondering if this somehow concentrates my germs hence a very strong positive.

I’m going to be careful post day 10 just in case.

We've noticed the line starts of faint and gets darker and then gets fainter again. So in my experience a dark line is peak covid and when it fades again you are starting to get better