What does a faint second line on Covid LFT test mean and should you self-isolate?
04.04.2022 - 14:17
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Lateral Flow Tests are a quick and easy way to check if you have been infected with coronavirus.
In Scotland, LFTs are still available for free until the end of this month.
Meanwhile, free Covid testing was scrapped in England at the beginning of April, with the exception of some NHS workers, carers, prison workers and employees in high risk domestic violence refuges.
Simple and easy LFTs can deliver results in minutes and use a litmus paper and solution to highlight that the test has worked successfully with one line, and a second red line if the virus is present in your saliva.
Around one in three people with the virus don’t show symptoms, so can spread to others without knowing, according to NHS Inform.
According to the Gov.uk website, lateral flow tests can be less sensitive when a person has lower levels of the virus in their system.
The Government guidance states that “… even faint lines, shows the test is positive”.
It adds: “Result lines may appear smudged or faint, but they are still valid results and must be reported.”
So while you're seeing a faint second line, it is likely you are positive and currently infected with coronavirus.
You should report this test result and carry out a PCR to confirm the result.
Last week, the office of National Statistics reported that Covid infections reached a new record, with an estimated 4.9million Brits testing positive with the virus.
The figures were up by around 600,000 from the previous week and have prompted fresh concerns after all lockdown restrictions were lifted just a month earlier.
Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status, must still self-isolate for 10 days.
However, new cases will be advised they can end self-isolation if they don’t have