expert reaction to changes to the COVID testing rules meaning those who test positive on lateral flow tests will no longer need a confirmatory PCR test if they do not have symptoms
In any case, it is likely that repeating a lateral flow test can manage the incidence of false positives and act as a confirmatory test by itself. When the prevalence is high – and it is incredibly high at the moment – almost everyone who tests positive with a lateral flow test will be a true positive. “Given the extreme pressure on the PCR testing service, it makes a lot of sense to skip this confirmation. “PCR testing remains more accurate than lateral flow, because much lower levels of virus on a swab can be detected. Lateral flow tests still have significantly higher rate of false negatives, and no tests are 100% reliable at ruling-out infection.
Source: The Guardian January 05, 2022 12:50 UTC
