Different Lateral Flow Tests

Thurrafork

Hello folks

I ordered a pack of Rapid Lateral Flow tests, forgetting that I already had a box in the house.
The new pack arrived, and it is of a different type: the box is green and it is an 'Orient Gene' test.
The old box was blue, did not mention the words Orient Gene, and was made in a different lab.

The new Orient Gene test apparently only requires swabbing of the nose, and shows results in just 15 minutes.

That is I guess a bit more convenient, but I'm more concerned if there is even a minute difference in accuracy.
Anyone got any ideas about this? I can't seem to find much on the net about it.

Thanks

p3ncilsharpener

Given the poor accuracy of lateral flow tests in general I wouldn't be too concerned about differences in accuracy, especially "minute" ones.

Thurrafork

Fair point.
But I have to choose which one to use and, even though it's effectively arbitrary, I'd prefer an accuracy based choice even if the difference is a fraction of a percent.

p3ncilsharpener

jamieboo said:

Fair point.
But I have to choose which one to use and, even though it's effectively arbitrary, I'd prefer an accuracy based choice even if the difference is a fraction of a percent.

It makes no difference.  Throw them in a bag and pick one out at random.

Sea_Shell

Take one of each and then go with the answer you want, if different 😉😉

Or best of 3!

JJ_Egan

Use the one you are confident with .

Accuracy is not high enough to differentiate at 1% levels .

MattMattMattUK

jamieboo said:

Hello folks

I ordered a pack of Rapid Lateral Flow tests, forgetting that I already had a box in the house.
The new pack arrived, and it is of a different type: the box is green and it is an 'Orient Gene' test.
The old box was blue, did not mention the words Orient Gene, and was made in a different lab.

The new Orient Gene test apparently only requires swabbing of the nose, and shows results in just 15 minutes.

That is I guess a bit more convenient, but I'm more concerned if there is even a minute difference in accuracy.
Anyone got any ideas about this? I can't seem to find much on the net about it.

Thanks

Both tests will be equally accurate. The reason they are probably changing the instructions to drop the throat swab is very few people do it properly anyway (to be fair only about two thirds of people do the nose part correctly). You could still do both with the new tests. Also the reason for the time scale change will be that in theory it can take up to half an hour for the positive result to develop, especially when the test is at a low temperature, but in reality most positives show in five minutes. 

If you want high accuracy then you need to go for a PCR. A lateral flow test will be very good at showing if you are infectious or not, it will be less good at showing if there is any of the virus in your system.