Very important
I don't care how light light light that test bar is showing, even ghost-like, if there's enough of a ghost line to make you even ask "Is that a real line?" trust me it IS, and you are testing positive. (Use a magnifying glass if your eyes are not top notch)
Plus I found there is much more room for unknowing operator error with these tests than I realized so I wondered if other people who take these tests knew this. That when by not gathering enough material from your nose and/or if the test solution container needs to drop onto what is labeled the test card is short the full amount needed you get false results. I've made all these mistakes myself this past two weeks but since I was also testing with the multiple tests at the same time I caught it. 'Cause I'm a very curious person, even when I'm sick it turns out. 😏
So how I came to observe all this is that today is my 14th day testing positive (and the first 10 days I was really ill) and I've been holding a study during this with multiple at-home test brands... and expiration dates. Fortunately I had had enough time to be well prepped with plenty of test kits just in case COVID came rolling through this large apartment building again, with three different test brands and now dates of expiration to do an anecdotal study.
I will come back and add more of the data I've collected when I'm better but I thought this is important enough that I needed to post it now about that barely visible ghost line.
Also...
👍 iHealth brand: both so-called expired tests and still within the printed viable date tests consistently test really good. Just make sure there's no operator error. (it's not hard- get enough out of your nose into the test fluid and be positive of full drops of fluid into the tray)$17.99 for two tests
👎 CLINITEST brand not expired: at the height of my infection this brand was still only showing light ghost-like lines in the results.
Okay I 'think' is QuickView brand not expired: The ?litmus strip? is dropped into the test liquid container itself and the results so far match the iHealth brand.
Here's something to think about.
Today, day 24 maybe, testing with brand iHealth I did all the mixing, dropping 3 drops, waiting. Still a faint positive.
And I thought 'What if I...?'
So I used the remaining iHealth mix on a CLINITEST brand by Siemens test tray. (5 drops) A less faint positive result.
These CLINITEST tests have worked less well for me so far, having aready declared me clean for four days. iHeart is still detecting a viral load so I'm still contagious.
Only this time using iHealth swabbing+provided liquid mix on the CLINITEST tray. It gave a stronger detection of vital load than did the poured from the same tube iHealth swabbing+liquid mix in iHealth tray.
Curious.
I used a QuickView test yesterday and it was pretty easy. This is only the 2nd kit that I've ever used and it's much easier than whatever the one was previously (it was about a year ago, and I don't remember the brand).
I was negative when I tested yesterday. I'll test again today, just to make sure. Just use the swab, soak it in the solution, then drop in the test strip and wait. The kits are expired, but they only expired last week, so I'm going to assume that they're still fine. Got a nice clear control reading, but the Covid side stayed negative (blank). Fingers crossed for the same results today!
EDIT note:
Apparently brain fogged when typing named one of the brands used.
It's iHealth not iHeart. My bad.
Oh yeah, yesterday was my 30th positive day. This morning my brother and I concluded I should find some research being done to offer my data to. 👵 🙂
I used Flow Flex at home test. Tested positive on Monday after noon, my boss did the same. So to return to work i thought we needed a negative test, turns out work says nope most will continue to test positive for a month or so after the first positive test. Boss tested Friday and was positive, told me dont waste my last test and mask up Monday.