Antigen tests, also known as rapid antigen or lateral flow tests, look for proteins produced by the virus called antigens. They don’t require a laboratory.

Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 do not have symptoms. Rapid antigen lateral flow tests help find cases in people who may have no symptoms but are still infectious and can give the virus to others.

An antigen test involves rolling a swab inside of each nostril. You should do this ten times per nostril to ensure a good quality sample. The swab is then placed into a liquid to allow the antigen to dissolve in the liquid. This liquid is then dripped onto the device's pad, producing a reaction that gives a result.

It depends on your vaccination status. If you have been double vaccinated, you will not need to take a pre-departure test (PDT) before flying back to the UK. If you are not double vaccinated, you will need to take a PDT (such as this antigen test).

You’ll be provided with a same-day fit-to-fly test certificate only if your test has been verified as negative for coronavirus after we have received and processed your result. This travel test certificate can be used for travel to certain countries where antigen tests are sufficient.

Yes, in some countries, antigen tests are accepted for travel. However, you should check that both the airline and destination consider an antigen test for travel valid. If you are travelling to England, you must take an antigen test before you arrive to avoid a £200 fine.

For us to successfully register your swab sample, you’ll need to provide us with your main contact information (name, address, date of birth), your pre-departure information and whether you have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Both PCR and antigen tests look for current infection. However, PCR tests are more accurate than antigen tests - they are the “gold standard”. An antigen test, also known as a lateral flow or rapid antigen test, looks for proteins created by the virus, whereas a PCR test looks for the genetic material of the virus itself. Most PCR tests need to go to a laboratory for the results to be processed. This means that it can take hours to days to get the results. Rapid antigen tests can be done at home, using a pregnancy-style test, giving results in minutes.

An antigen test looks for proteins created by the virus, whereas an antibody test looks for the cells that your body has created to protect you from coronavirus (because you have previously been exposed to it). An antigen test looks for current infection, whereas an antibody test looks for previous infection. An antigen test can be done at home, using a pregnancy-style test, giving results in minutes, whereas an antibody test requires a blood sample to be sent to the laboratory.

We can measure the accuracy of antigen tests by assessing their sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity is how good a test is at finding infection in a person with a condition. When a person has low levels of the virus in their system, antigen tests are less sensitive than some of the other tests used, such as PCR which is used for those experiencing symptoms.This means that antigen tests may not detect Covid-19 in a person with smaller amounts of the virus in their airways. Antigen tests are more reliable when an individual has a high viral load, which is important as these people are more likely to spread the virus. Ongoing review for rapid antigen testing shows an overall sensitivity of 76.8%. This is quite low, so if you have symptoms, we recommend that you use an alternative test, such as a PCR test. Specificity is how good a test is at giving a negative result in a person without a condition. If a person doesn’t have a condition, a test with a high specificity is more likely to correctly identify that they don’t have it. Ongoing review for rapid antigen testing shows that the test has a specificity of 99.68%.

The time it takes for a test result to appear varies for different tests. You should leave your test for a recommended 15-minute development time to get an accurate result. If the test device is left to develop longer you may receive a false-positive result and you will need to repeat the test.

You should carefully dispose of the test device and equipment in your household rubbish.

No, you cannot reuse a Covid-19 antigen test as they are single-use only.