Schoolchildren, inspired by videos on social media platforms, have taken to using fruit juice and fizzy drinks to get false positive Covid test results and skip school. A number of videos have been found, with titles including: “Fed up of going to school? Want to get a positive Covid test? Use orange juice.” The MailOnline has the story.
When droplets of orange juice or fizzy drinks like coca-cola are placed on a lateral flow test it can produce a positive result because the acidity of the drink destroys the antibody proteins in the test.
And although it does not work every time, viral videos on TikTok and Instagram have been encouraging children across the U.K. to try the trick to get out of going to school…
Gateacre School in Belle Vale, Liverpool, sent an email to parents yesterday warning them to watch over their children as they take lateral flow Covid tests.
The school warned parents children around the country had discovered a trick for producing a false positive reading…
The email read: “Nationally, some school students have discovered that placing droplets of orange juice or other fruit juice on an LFD test gets a false ‘positive’ result.
“In light of this, can you be extra vigilant when your child is doing their LFD tests. Also, remind them that a positive LFD test must be followed by a confirmatory PCR test.” …
A Government spokesman said it is “imperative” lateral flow tests are used in the correct way.
They added: “Around one in three people with Covid experience no symptoms and rapid testing with lateral flow tests helps us track down positive cases that would otherwise go under the radar.”
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