What are the pink lines on your lateral flow test and what do they mean?

WE’VE all gotten used to waiting over a lateral flow test in anticipation of a singular red line.

But what does it mean when you get a pink or very faint line, and does it signal you are carrying Covid?

The kits have been crucial in the fight against Covid, allowing people to navigate their lives safely.

If you get a positive result, it sadly means your social plans are off - you are carrying the virus and can pass it to someone else.

The home-kits are not as accurate as PCR tests, which have to be sent off to a lab.

However, the Government credits them for finding Covid carriers who are not showing symptoms, and giving results on the spot.

Here we explain how the tests work, and what all results mean…

What do the results mean?

Negative result: one line next to C shows the test is negative.

Void: no lines, or one line next to T, means the test is void. You will need to re-take with a fresh test kit.

Positive result: Two lines, one next to C and one next to T, even faint lines, shows the test is positive. 

How do lateral flow tests work?

Covid lateral flow tests, or “antigen tests”, work in the same way as pregnancy tests. They use the same technology, which has been around for decades.

The tests detect proteins (antigens) that are present in throat and swab samples, in this case, Covid proteins.

When the sample from the nose or throat is mixed with the buffer solution (the liquid provided in the test kit), the antigens are released into the liquid.

They move along the strip and are captured by antibodies, which are programmed to recognise Covid.