You wake up with a throbbing head, sore throat and a bad nose, and you have to check for Covid just to be safe. If it returns a negative line, most people will pop a couple of pills and go about their business as usual. It is probably just a cold.
The emergence of Omicron has thrown a wrench in the works. The message that double-vaccine is not a guarantee against infections is reinforced by the latest data, which shows that the ability of the immune system to fight Omicron is 30 times lower one month after your second jab.
The UK Health Security Agency data shows double-jabbed people with the AstraZeneca vaccine have about 10% protection against Omicron six months after their second jab, compared with 40% protection against the Delta variant.
If you rely on a LFT to decide if it is safe for you to leave the house, the odds of it being wrong have gone up.
People with Covid symptoms should always seek a test such as a PCR, rather than relying on a LFT. Despite widespread evidence that headaches, fatigue, a sore throat or a runny nose are also common Covid symptoms, it still defines these symptoms as a high temperature, new cough and/or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
A LFT can deliver a result within minutes, unlike getting a test online, booking a test, or waiting for a test to be delivered.
We know they are not as accurate as the PCR tests, but they are still pretty accurate if you have recently had a Covid vaccine.
A review of 64 studies found that the tests were accurate in identifying 70% of people who had symptoms and 80% of people who had become ill within the first week. The Department of Health and Social Care claims that the Innova LFT can detect more than 98% of individuals with the highest viral loads.
