It has recently been announced that Scotland will enter a 'transitional phase' of testing and as a result, home lateral flow tests will stop being readily available to the public this month.
At present they do remain free with many trying to stock up on the free kits before April 18 hits.
According to the latest covid figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), between March 20 and the 26th, it is estimated that one in 12 people in Scotland had the virus which equates to around 451,200 people.
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In addition, the Scottish Government have said that 6,935 new cases of covid were reported - 11.6% of which were reinfections.
But whilst some may look down and see two strong red lines, what does it mean if you see a faint line?
Here's everything you need to know...
What to the lines on LFTs mean?
Around one in three people with the virus don’t show symptoms meaning the virus you could be spreading the virus to others unknowingly, according to the Daily Record.
When reading a lateral flow results, one pink or red line next to the control marker C means you've got a negative result - phew!
A second line next to marker T (test) as well as one beside the C however is a positive result.
If there is one line next to T and no line next to - or no lines at all, this means that your test is void and you'll need to do it again.
Am I positive or negative for covid if my LFT has a faint line?
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.
And some people even report online that as they start to feel better, they can gradually see the second line becoming fainter.
But according to government guidance, the body states that "even faint lines, shows the test is positive."
Adding "Result lines may appear smudged or faint, but they are still valid results and must be reported."
So, even if lines are faint 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.
What are Scotland's self-isolation rules?
If you test positive, under current guidelines you should self-isolate for 10 days from the date your symptoms started and if you've had a positive PCR or LFD test result but no symptoms, you should self-isolate for 10 days from the date of your test.
You may develop symptoms over the next few days however the NHS state you don't need a confirmatory PCR test unless advised by a clinician and additionally you don't need to re-start your isolation period.
People with symptoms are very unlikely to infect others after the 10th day of illness meaning once you've completed your 10 day self-isolation, you can return to work and your usual activities - regardless of whether your LFT shows as positive or negative.
Can I leave self-isolation early?
The Scottish Government's covid guidelines state that long as you feel better and do not have a high temperature, you can leave isolation early.
However in order to do this you must tick certain boxes.
This means you can leave self-isolation on day seven if you:
- Have two negative LFT test results in a row from day six onwards which must be taken 24 hours apart. For example, a negative LFT test result on day 6 and 7, day 7 and 8, or day 8 and 9.
- Do not have a high temperature
You should not take an LFT test before day 6 of your self-isolation period and you must only end self-isolation after two negative test results in a row.
This guidance applies regardless of age, vaccination status or previous infection.
