Lateral Flow Tests

[Sebastian Cobb]

Think I might've succombed but quite hard to tell if it's 'vid or just my body trying to deal with the first cold it has seen in over 2 years. Currently have a sore head, throat and achy joints, smell and taste seems ok. I do have some LFT's but I think I might just assume I have it today and break them out tomorrow when hopefully my throat has stopped feeling like I've been gargling sand.

[flotemysost]

^ hope you feel better soon, whatever it is! It does seem like a sandy glottis (RIP American names thread) is one of the harbingers of the current round for many people (I definitely had it for a few days before I tested poz last week), so it seems worth going all in for the old tonsil scrub with lateral flows at the moment. Fingers crossed anyway.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Cheers Flotes, I felt a bit better after getting up and pottering about a bit yesterday and so felt up to taking a test, the positive line came in thick pretty much straight away and within 2 minutes the control line confirmed it wasn't void :(

Seems like one of those ones where despite rest being advisable sleep is poor and I think I feel worse horizontal, yay.

I don't feel that bad but I think I'd feel a damn sight better had I not been complacent and ran out of ibuprofen.

[flotemysost]

Ah, sorry to hear that - hopefully it goes easy on you and you manage to get some rest. Likewise the first time I had it I felt absolutely knackered but couldn't sleep at night at all, luckily work were OK with me logging off at random times of day to kip where I could.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Has anyone noticed when they're on the back-end of it and taking lateral flows that there's a bit of variance in the thickness in the lines from one day to the next?

I took one Friday and the line was incredibly faint to the point it needed to be in the right light to be visible, which got me hopeful and thinking I'd probably be fully negative in 24 hours or so, but when I took one again Saturday the line was more prominent, although still faint. Which was disappointing.

I assume the variance was just down to factors in me taking the test rather than the kit itself - perhaps I got a slightly better swab of my tonsils the second time or I'd drank more water to clear my throat beforehand (I did wait 30 minutes before taking the test each time). I assume part of the control test looks for some sort of chemical our noses/throats produce all the time to make sure you've sampled the parts your supposed to, and if you just ran one without swabbing at all it would come up void?

Both point to me getting better - the very first positive a week before was practically black and these are more like slight greyish smudges so I know I'm on the mend, just looking forward to being allowed out.

I did actually nip out yesterday before taking the test (based on Friday's result), to the burger van behind my flat because I had no food, I masked up and they have a big plastic screen and there was a breeze etc, so whilst probably not observing the full rules, I reckon the risks were 0.

[purlieu]

By that point it's probably just your body flushing out the remaining dead virus anyway so it'll be variable depending on how much you're knocking out at the moment. You're almost certainly not contagious. Are there even rules at the moment? I thought it was totally fine to go around spreading it even if you've tested positive.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Thanks!

I think I am allowed out based on lack of restrictions but at the same time I don't want to be a selfish cunt.

[Ferris]

Mine was very faint for ages but wouldn't fuck off until day 16 (?)

I was in the basement playing Quake and drinking rum so tbh wasn't in any great hurry to be out of quarantine.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Mine was very faint for ages but wouldn't fuck off until day 16 (?)

I was in the basement playing Quake and drinking rum so tbh wasn't in any great hurry to be out of quarantine.

Hmm I hope it disappears before day 16 as I'm supposed to be seeing some old mates in Embra for a whisky festival and then back to Glasgow for JAMC in the evening.

Based on what @purlieu said I'm quite tempted to go for a walk this afternoon where other people aren't about. Might get my body pumping some of the shite out a bit quicker.

I'd be quite content to sit around doing nothing, but quite typically I got struck the weekend when I was planning to do a grocery shop so have been surviving on improvised meals. I've got pretty good at making a stir fry lunch out of just rice, garlic, butter, chilli flakes and soy sauce.

I was overjoyed when I discovered takeaway delivery guys are pretty much fine with you bellowing "hi mate I'm isolating at the moment could you leave it by the door please?" through a closed door.

[Kankurette]

I've got a sore throat and the last time I had one, it was COVID so will do a test later. Thing is, I tested positive back in June so I should be immune right now.

[olliebean]

Thing is, I tested positive back in June so I should be immune right now.

I wouldn't count on it.

[Kankurette]

Test was negative. It's probably just tonsillitis.

[SpiderChrist]

Tested positive yesterday, after going to my first two gigs in two years. Feels like flu. Not impressed.

[Des Wigwam]

Any idea how accurate the older LFTs are? I've just done one after 12 hours of "Dental Plan-Lisa Needs New Braces" around a hacking cough I've developed. It's from a batch I got back when they decided it was a better public health decision for Boots to flog them for £6.

Happy to have Bloke-I-know-is-a-virologist / -works in the LFT factory / -is in the SAS type opinion.

It's looking nice an clear right now. I'll do another couple to be sure as am never convinced I'm doing them quite right.