Rapid antigen tests (also known as lateral flow tests) are diagnostic tests that can detect the presence coronavirus in a swab sample. They’re able to give super fast and reliable results and are a quick, easy and low-cost method of testing.
Coronavirus rapid antigen lateral flow tests (non-travel)
Approved rapid antigen lateral flow test kits to detect COVID in minutes.
Government-listed testing provider
Only £2.60 per additional test!
Approved Rapid Antigen Lateral Flow Tests for COVID
- Result in minutes
- Next-day delivery (order before 8pm weekdays & 6pm weekends)
- Detects omicron variant
- Gentle nose swab
- High accuracy: 97% sensitivity, 99% specificity
- Passed assessment by UK Health Security Agency
- CE-marked self-test

Approved Rapid Antigen Lateral Flow Tests
CE-marked for home use
Gentle nose swab
Individually packaged tests
Results in 15 min
High accuracy: 97% sensitivity, 99% specificity
Passed assessment by UKHSA
Next-day DPD tracked delivery included
Only £2.60 per additional test!
Product Info
We supply rapid antigen lateral flow self-tests manufactured by Healgen (Coronavirus Ag Rapid Test) and Acon Biotech (Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test). Both tests are approved for use by the UK Health Security Agency and the specific test supplied depends on stock.
These antigen tests are known for their high diagnostic accuracy with specificity ~97% and sensitivity ~99%.
Both tests detect the omicron variant.
Important considerations for use:
- If you have typical symptoms of coronavirus, you should take a PCR test.
- A negative test result does not guarantee that an individual doesn't have coronavirus.
- These lateral flow tests do not come with a certificate and cannot be used for arrival or departure travel testing.
Common Questions
We've gathered together a list of the most common questions people have - like "what is an antigen test?". If you can't find the answer you're looking for please get in touch.
Nearly 1 in every 3 people with coronavirus do not have any symptoms. These people won’t know they have the virus but can still pass it onto others. This means that a quick and easy test to tell if people who don’t have symptoms carry the virus is very useful to control the spread of the virus and protect those around us. The tests are being used to “screen” people for the virus.
Lateral flow antigen tests in the UK are best used to detect coronavirus in people who don’t have symptoms.
You can use these tests even if you have been vaccinated. We know that vaccines are not perfect at stopping people from getting the virus and people who have been vaccinated can potentially still carry the virus and infect others.
If you have symptoms of coronavirus (e.g. persistent cough, fever, change in sense of taste/smell), you should take a PCR test instead of, or in addition to, a lateral flow antigen test.
If you have had coronavirus confirmed by a PCR test, the NHS recommends that you can avoid regular testing with rapid antigen tests for 90 days.
When using these tests to screen for coronavirus, it is best to take a test regularly. This should be at least once per week and studies suggest best results when testing twice per week.
However, there may also be times when you need to take a test as a “one-off”. For example, when you are coming into contact with a group of people for an event or when travelling.
A rapid antigen test is pretty simple. It’s a test that detects if a specific SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) antigen protein is present in a sample from your nose and / or throat.
Wondering how to do a rapid antigen lateral flow test? A small swab is gently inserted into your nose and rotated several times. The swab is then placed into a tube filled with a liquid solution that helps release viral proteins. The swab is removed from the tube and three drops of the liquid solution are added to a test device. The test result should be ready to read within 15 minutes.
Clinical evaluation of lateral flow tests shows that they work best at picking up the virus when a person has high levels of the virus. In most people, high levels of the virus last for 4-8 days and corresponds to when they are most likely to transmit the virus to others.
This test correctly identified people with high levels of the virus in 97% of cases. This means that if 100 people with the virus took the test, we would expect a positive result in 97 of them. Furthermore, almost everyone with a positive test result did actually have the virus – there were virtually no “false positive” results.
However, we do know that lateral flow tests are not as good at picking up low levels of the virus as a PCR test. However, PCR tests have to be done in a lab, take a lot longer to produce a result and are so sensitive that they can be positive weeks to months after people have stopped being infectious.
A positive antigen COVID test will show two coloured lines – usually red, however the colour and intensity of the line can differ slightly. A line should always appear in the C (Control) region, but a positive test result will show a line in the T (Test) region too. Please note the test is invalid if a line does not appear in the C region.
A faint or smudged line in the T region still means indicates a postive result. However, please note rapid antigen tests for COVID tests can show a "false-positive" if the test is read too late - always read the result within 15-30 minutes adding the sample to the test cassette.
If you test positive then it’s highly likely that you’re infected with coronavirus, even if you have no symptoms. You should follow the UK government guidance on what to do if you have a positive test for coronavirus.
We're doctors who put people first
We're a small group of doctors and business leaders who created C19 Testing because we believe that people deserve transparency, honesty and certainty when having to take unfamiliar tests in uncertain times.

Dr Claire Merrifield
- MBBS MRCGP PhD
Claire is a GP in London. Claire’s undergraduate degree was related to infectious disease in animals and humans and her doctorate thesis at Imperial College London looked at the interactions between probiotics, the immune system and gut metabolism.
Claire is a GP in London. Claire’s undergraduate degree was related to infectious disease in animals and humans and her doctorate thesis at Imperial College London looked at the interactions between probiotics, the immune system and gut metabolism.

Dr Alasdair Scott
- MBBS MRCS PhD
Alasdair received his medical degree and PhD from Imperial College London and has trained as a surgeon in London. Alasdair is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College London and is involved in research into the interactions between micro-organisms and human health.
Alasdair received his medical degree and PhD from Imperial College London and has trained as a surgeon in London. Alasdair is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College London and is involved in research into the interactions between micro-organisms and human health.