The Government is no longer providing the general public with free Covid tests.

It means people must now pay out of their own pockets to check whether they have the virus.

The UK now appears to be past the peak of the latest wave of infections, caused by the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron.

But figues still remain high, and a lot of people have reported catching the virus for the first time, more than two years into the pandemic.

If you suspect you might have Covid-19 here’s how to access a lateral flow test, how to take one and how to register results.

The Government has an approved list of lateral flow test providers which you can find here, along with contact details.

The Government says tests not on its approved list may not meet minimum standards.

You can order tests online or pick them up from a local pharmacy, including chains such as Boots, Superdrug and Lloyds Pharmacy.

Boots has said it will offer the devices for £2.50 each or £12 for a pack of five.

Lloyds Pharmacy has one of the cheapest single test kits on the market at £1.89, with the price lowering to £1.86 per test for a pack of five, while Superdrug stocks a self-testing kit for £1.99.

Tesco has started selling single kits for £2, with a nationwide online rollout planned for May.

Online-only providers tend to be more expensive, with some individual kits costing around £6, and if shipping costs are not included, the prices can increase further.

Be sure to read the instructions carefully before taking a test, as different brands can vary.

In general lateral flow tests work by swabbing the back of your throat, inside your nostrils or both.

You then mix the swab with solution and drip it onto the testing strip, before waiting for your result.

The NHS now lists the following as official Covid symptoms:

The NHS says: “The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.”

Lateral flow devices are small white rectangles made of plastic with a testing strip inside.

There is a small well at the bottom of the device with the letter “S” next to it. This is where you drop your sample.

Above this there is a window to the testing strip. Towards the top of the window is the letter “C”, and below it is the letter “T”.

The C stands for “control” and the T stands for “test”.

Once you have dropped your sample into the well, a red line should appear next to the C relatively quickly. This line should be present every time you do a lateral flow test.

If a red line appears next to the T that means you have tested positive. If there is no line, that means you have tested negative.

Even if the line next to the T is extremely faint, that still means your test is positive.

Government guidance states: “Result lines may appear smudged or faint, but they are still valid results.”

However, you should be careful to check the instructions for your lateral flow tests before taking them, as sometimes they can show false positives if you read them too late.

The instructions will tell you how long to wait before checking your test. Most say between 15-30 minutes.

NHS A&E doctor Nathan Hudson-Peacock has said a second line which appears after the 30-minute window may not indicate a positive result.

He said: “If the faint line appears after the window, the most likely cause is either that there has been some contamination (eg. food or drink, or some other weak contaminant) or there are just very low levels of the virus.

“If it is the latter, and obviously assuming you are asymptomatic at this point, then you are unlikely to be a transmission risk.”

He added that a “sensible approach” would be to be extra careful with precautions, such as social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing, and to continue testing regularly where possible.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has stated “no test is 100 per cent reliable” because lateral flow tests cannot detect low levels of the virus.

A Cochrane Review, published in March this year, looked at 64 studies published up to September 2020 which investigated 16 different antigen tests and five different molecular tests.

It found that in people with confirmed Covid‐19, antigen tests correctly identified the infection in an average of 72 per cent of people with symptoms, and 58 per cent of people without symptoms. 

Tests were most accurate when used in the first week after symptoms developed.

In people who did not have the virus, antigen tests correctly ruled out infection in 99.5 per cent of people with Covid-like symptoms and 98.9 per cent of people without symptoms.

It concluded the tests are useful for selecting people with symptoms for further testing with PCR.

If you have Covid-19 symptoms you are no longer required to take a test or self-isolate.

However, the NHS advises anyone with symptoms to stay at home and avoid contact with others.

If you test positive or experience symptoms, the NHS advises taking the following steps:

If you have Covid-19, you can pass on the virus to other people for up to 10 days from when your infection starts. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after five days.

Previously, people were advised to leave isolation after five full days if they tested negative two days in a row, or after 10 days if they were continuing to test positive.

You can continue to follow that advice if you wish, and you have tests available.

You can report the result of a lateral flow test on the government website here.

You cannot use this service to report results from a test kit you’ve paid for. Only use it if you are using a free government-provided test.

If you paid for a test, check the test kit instructions to see if you should report your results to the private test provider.

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