Binax vs FlowFlex comparison

[ktgrok]

Binax is positive, Flowflex is negative. 

I had a positive (faint) on Binax on Friday, Negative Flowflex on Saturday, took both today, as seen in photo below. 

Binax are hard to come by though - only Walgreens has them here, and I got the last one today. Had ordered 2 from Shipt and they only had one. 

 

[Kassia]

Wow, that's really interesting! 

[ktgrok]

Just now, Kassia said:

Wow, that's really interesting! 

Right? Like, I hate "wasting" the test, but the science geek in me had to do it, lol. 

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

Binax is positive, Flowflex is negative. 

I had a positive (faint) on Binax on Friday, Negative Flowflex on Saturday, took both today, as seen in photo below. 

Binax are hard to come by though - only Walgreens has them here, and I got the last one today. Had ordered 2 from Shipt and they only had one. 

 

Interesting.  The NHS ones we have look identical to the one on the right. The instructions are to swab both sides of the throat and one nostril, and wait 30 minutes for results. What are your instructions? 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Laura Corin

[YaelAldrich]

17 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Interesting.  The NHS ones we have look identical to the one on the right. The instructions are to swab both sides of the throat and one nostril. What are your instructions? 

In the US they only say nasal swab. I swab both.

 

 

[ktgrok]

32 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Interesting.  The NHS ones we have look identical to the one on the right. The instructions are to swab both sides of the throat and one nostril, and wait 30 minutes for results. What are your instructions? 

Both nostrils, 15 seconds each one. Read between 15 and 30 minutes. 

[Laura Corin]

5 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Both nostrils, 15 seconds each one. Read between 15 and 30 minutes. 

Hmm. I wonder if it's not really calibrated for those instructions or something? 

[ktgrok]

2 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Hmm. I wonder if it's not really calibrated for those instructions or something? 

oh man, now I kind of want to try that

I may need a go fund me for tests, lol. The swab is short though, not long like the Binax and other ones, not sure it would reach my throat. 

Edited June 19, 2022 by ktgrok

[YaelAldrich]

2 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

oh man, now I kind of want to try that

I may need a go fund me for tests, lol. The swab is short though, not long like the Binax and other ones, not sure it would reach my throat. 

It does. It just isn't fun or easy to do. #BTDT #COVID2022

[ktgrok]

7 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

It does. It just isn't fun or easy to do. #BTDT #COVID2022

So..now I have to do it, for science, don't I?

[YaelAldrich]

11 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

So..now I have to do it, for science, don't I?

DO IT!  DO IT!!

[Kassia]

12 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

So..now I have to do it, for science, don't I?

Yep, take one for the WTM team! 

[ktgrok]

Test is running, did the best I could to swab throat, and one nostril. I am slightly more snotty than before. I mean, not a ton, but it has been a few hours since last one. 

[ktgrok]

Ok, one with the throat swab plus nostril was also negative. That's 3 negative FlowFlex, 2 positive Binax. 

[Laura Corin]

1 minute ago, ktgrok said:

Ok, one with the throat swab plus nostril was also negative. That's 3 negative FlowFlex, 2 positive Binax. 

Thank you for satisfying our curiosity! 

[Farrar]

Interesting. Very interesting.

[ktgrok]

In other "katie is treating this like a science experiment" news, I was going stir crazy sitting around, so did an easy yoga workout. (I've been doing some yoga every day, and it helps). It felt harder than it should, or normally would. I looked up my stats from last time, and you can see the difference in how hard my body was working! Crazy. 

And no worries - at no point was I working TOO hard)

(only new symptom is one ear is popping, going to take a sudafed and mucinex once I eat dinner)

 

[YaelAldrich]

I thought I read someplace that the Flowflex was better at catching early Covid? Anyone remember seeing that? 

[KidsHappen]

I would interpret that to mean that the Binax is simply more sensitive than the flowmax. Of course that means that there could be tons of people out there who took a flowmax test and thought that they didn't have covid when in fact they did.

[Kassia]

1 minute ago, KidsHappen said:

I would interpret that to mean that the Binax is simply more sensitive than the flowmax. Of course that means that there could be tons of people out there who took a flowmax test and thought that they didn't have covid when in fact they did.

That's really concerning. 

[Clarita]

They usually suggest you take a test then skip a few days (if negative) and test again after an exposure. For the duration of the infection you will have the tests vary in time to report and sharpness of the line. I tested for days in a row because we had to quarantine from my husband and I didn't like having to be solo parent for days on end. It turns out my little girl continued to be positive past the 10 day mark probably because she wasn't great at blowing her nose.

[YaelAldrich]

During our family's odyssey with covid last/this month, the Binax tests "glitched" several times. Meaning they went all pink all over the window. The Flowflex and ones from Costco did not do that. They did seem to be less sensitive to antigens compared to the Binax. Meaning they had a clear positive line versus the Flowflex with a very light line later in my (and my DH and DD's infections) We didn't test every day but about half way through (5 days past first positive test) and every other day after. In the case of DH's rebound we used them the first couple of days in disbelief. 

[ktgrok]

17 minutes ago, KidsHappen said:

I would interpret that to mean that the Binax is simply more sensitive than the flowmax. Of course that means that there could be tons of people out there who took a flowmax test and thought that they didn't have covid when in fact they did.

That's my take, as well. 

[ktgrok]

11 minutes ago, Clarita said:

They usually suggest you take a test then skip a few days (if negative) and test again after an exposure. For the duration of the infection you will have the tests vary in time to report and sharpness of the line. I tested for days in a row because we had to quarantine from my husband and I didn't like having to be solo parent for days on end. It turns out my little girl continued to be positive past the 10 day mark probably because she wasn't great at blowing her nose.

For clarity, i took a Binax Friday, positive. FlowFlex Saturday, negative. Binax Sunday, positive, FlowFlex Sunday, negative. So, even if I test positive on FlowFlex tomorrow, that would mean the Binax picked it up Friday vs Monday, and that's IF the flowFlex is positive tomorrow. 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, YaelAldrich said:

I thought I read someplace that the Flowflex was better at catching early Covid? Anyone remember seeing that? 

Comparison of OTC COVID-19 Tests
https://ldh.la.gov/assets/oph/Coronavirus/testing/COVID-19-OTC-Test-Comparison.pdf

Do Not Use Certain ACON Flowflex COVID-19 Tests: FDA Safety Communication https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/do-not-use-certain-acon-flowflex-covid-19-tests-fda-safety-communication

“

Front of Box Label

Back of Box Label

”

[ktgrok]

27 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Comparison of OTC COVID-19 Tests
https://ldh.la.gov/assets/oph/Coronavirus/testing/COVID-19-OTC-Test-Comparison.pdf

Do Not Use Certain ACON Flowflex COVID-19 Tests: FDA Safety Communication https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/do-not-use-certain-acon-flowflex-covid-19-tests-fda-safety-communication

“

Front of Box Label

Back of Box Label

”

Huh, mine don't look like that box. Mine are white, with blue writing I think. 

[Arcadia]

33 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Huh, mine don't look like that box. Mine are white, with blue writing I think.

Yours is what I see at Costco 

[wathe]

 

@ktgrok@YaelAldrich

Ontario Science Table brief from February with data on different test brands and data on nose+throat more sensitive than throat.

ETA: also contains data sensitivity delta vs omicron.  With references.  Nice and nerdy 🙂

Edited June 20, 2022 by wathe

[ktgrok]

38 minutes ago, wathe said:

 

@ktgrok@YaelAldrich

Ontario Science Table brief from February with data on different test brands and data on nose+throat more sensitive than throat.

ETA: also contains data sensitivity delta vs omicron.  With references.  Nice and nerdy 🙂

I'll check it out but it doesn't look like the ones I used were tested. 

Edited June 20, 2022 by ktgrok

[wathe]

34 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I'll check it out but it doesn't look like the ones I used were tested. 

Possibly not.  Brands are somewhat different  here.  But differences between brands is definitely a thing.

ETA: it looks like FlowFlex was one of the more sensitive ones:

 

Edited June 20, 2022 by wathe

[ktgrok]

9 hours ago, wathe said:

Possibly not.  Brands are somewhat different  here.  But differences between brands is definitely a thing.

ETA: it looks like FlowFlex was one of the more sensitive ones:

 

Wow, that shows Flowflex as the most sensitive, and yet it isn't as sensitive as the Binax I used. If those are the only brands used where you are, I bet a lot of positives are being missed!

[wathe]

4 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Wow, that shows Flowflex as the most sensitive, and yet it isn't as sensitive as the Binax I used. If those are the only brands used where you are, I bet a lot of positives are being missed!

We have other brands here too, which weren't included in that study, (which was international).  Most of the tests available here are BTNX Rapid Response, which are distributed free from pharmacies.  We use them in the clinic too, and, IME, they correlate well with PCR.   Also, the quoted study was from early Omicron days.  So, who knows what the relative sensitivities are for the more current variants.....

[ktgrok]

8 minutes ago, wathe said:

We have other brands here too, which weren't included in that study, (which was international).  Most of the tests available here are BTNX Rapid Response, which are distributed free from pharmacies.  We use them in the clinic too, and, IME, they correlate well with PCR.   Also, the quoted study was from early Omicron days.  So, who knows what the relative sensitivities are for the more current variants.....

That is good! It's sort of scary to think that even days after my positive on the other brand, the FlowFlex couldn't pick it up!

[AmandaVT]

Have you gotten a PCR to double check the results? My Binax came up fast and SO dark. Yours almost looks like a not quite a line on a pregnancy test type of line. Maybe you're not actually positive? 🤞 

This was my "oh crap, there must be something wrong with the test" test. My only symptom at the time were watery eyes and a slightly runny nose.

[ktgrok]

I would think maybe a false positive on one, but on two two days apart, from different boxes? And the kids took them as well, and had no line at all, not like mine. I do have an elevated heart rate, some ear pain/pressure, and slightly horse voice. 

the elevated heart rate is the most annoying part, as it makes me feel anxious. 

[AmandaVT]

41 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I would think maybe a false positive on one, but on two two days apart, from different boxes? And the kids took them as well, and had no line at all, not like mine. I do have an elevated heart rate, some ear pain/pressure, and slightly horse voice. 

the elevated heart rate is the most annoying part, as it makes me feel anxious. 

Ugh, was worth a shot! Hopefully, you and DH both feel better quick and have no lasting side effects!! 

[ktgrok]

Dh took our last FlowFlex today - positive within seconds. So they are not defective in that they do work, but are not as sensitive. 

DS 22 took the last Binax in the house today, negative. Which is good, as he's the one taking care of the kids. Thank heavens he lives here still! And shows they do have a true negative, with no line at all. 

I have more Binax being delivered tomorrow from Walmart. 

Edited June 20, 2022 by ktgrok

[HSmomof2]

I have symptoms that started last Thursday, did an iHealth home test, and it was instantly positive with a very dark test line. Friday evening, Dh started feeling a sore throat and headache. He did an iHealth that was negative. Saturday morning, he felt worse, took a Binax, still negative. Sunday, he has a very sore throat, congestion, cough, so takes another iHealth…..still negative. He then decided to go to the county drive thru testing site. His rapid test there was also negative, though the nurse told him they’d also run a PCR but to assume he is positive because I am. His PCR came back positive this morning. I took an iHealth this morning just to see if I’m still positive, and it was instantly positive. Had Dh take one just to see if his would show up, but his was still negative! He has worse symptoms than I do at this point, and is definitely positive, but it’s just not showing  on the rapid tests for some reason. Our dc are still testing negative and don’t have any symptoms.

[ktgrok]

8 minutes ago, HSmomof2 said:

I have symptoms that started last Thursday, did an iHealth home test, and it was instantly positive with a very dark test line. Friday evening, Dh started feeling a sore throat and headache. He did an iHealth that was negative. Saturday morning, he felt worse, took a Binax, still negative. Sunday, he has a very sore throat, congestion, cough, so takes another iHealth…..still negative. He then decided to go to the county drive thru testing site. His rapid test there was also negative, though the nurse told him they’d also run a PCR but to assume he is positive because I am. His PCR came back positive this morning. I took an iHealth this morning just to see if I’m still positive, and it was instantly positive. Had Dh take one just to see if his would show up, but his was still negative! He has worse symptoms than I do at this point, and is definitely positive, but it’s just not showing  on the rapid tests for some reason. Our dc are still testing negative and don’t have any symptoms.

weird!!! 

[ktgrok]

Tested negative on BinaxNow today! Will stay in isolation for rest of today and start coming out of my room into the rest of house tomorrow, masked. 

[Kassia]

22 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Tested negative on BinaxNow today! Will stay in isolation for rest of today and start coming out of my room into the rest of house tomorrow, masked. 

YAY!!  🙂

[Laura Corin]

9 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Tested negative on BinaxNow today! Will stay in isolation for rest of today and start coming out of my room into the rest of house tomorrow, masked. 

Remember to take it as easy as you possibly can. People who don't rest up - particularly your age and sex - are more likely to develop Long Covid.

Rediscover the art of convalescence - lie around drinking tea, order dinner in and ignore the state of the house for as long as you can.

[Farrar]

I don't have the Flow Flex ones, but the iHealth ones, which are the ones we get free from the (not a) state. But the tests look exactly the same so I've wondered if it's some sort of generic sold to governments. 

In any case, I'm 99% sure I have Covid - classic symptoms (not that bad - so far at least, I've had worse colds, though it's early so who knows) and known exposure. I've now had a bunch of negatives on the iHealth tests and I totally thought of this thread. The person who exposed me was feeling a little sick and also had repeated negatives on the iHealth tests... until she didn't, which is why I know I was exposed. But she is feeling 100% fine now and her kid also tested positive, also feeling totally fine - they were just testing as a matter of course before going to an event.

[ktgrok]

7 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Remember to take it as easy as you possibly can. People who don't rest up - particularly your age and sex - are more likely to develop Long Covid.

Rediscover the art of convalescence - lie around drinking tea, order dinner in and ignore the state of the house for as long as you can.

Ugh. it's really hard...mostly because I feel FINE, other than the easier to get my heart rate up thing. I can't say more easily fatigued just because I'm not doing much to fatigue myself, lol. I do feel more easily out of breathing when say, coming up the stairs carrying our food on a tray, but I am also wearing a KF-95 mask while doing it, so not sure how much is just that. But after the heart rate spiking up yesterday while standing still I DID make myself take it easy the rest of the day. I had already cleaned the bathroom and bathroom baseboards and dusted the bedroom, but after that just laid in bed and read, mostly. 

I even skipped the daily yoga I'd been doing, since I was pretty tired by the end of the day. More than I had been previously but I'd also gotten up earlier due to a dog needing to go out. Heartrate was better the rest of the day, just laying in bed for an hour reading seemed to help a lot - I'm wondering how much was also just anxiety over this whole situation as well. 

But anyway, I will TRY to not feel lazy and let myself just rest. I am volunteering at VBS next week, so should probably rest up while I can, and stick to only stretching type exercise for the rest of the week. 

2 hours ago, Farrar said:

I don't have the Flow Flex ones, but the iHealth ones, which are the ones we get free from the (not a) state. But the tests look exactly the same so I've wondered if it's some sort of generic sold to governments. 

In any case, I'm 99% sure I have Covid - classic symptoms (not that bad - so far at least, I've had worse colds, though it's early so who knows) and known exposure. I've now had a bunch of negatives on the iHealth tests and I totally thought of this thread. The person who exposed me was feeling a little sick and also had repeated negatives on the iHealth tests... until she didn't, which is why I know I was exposed. But she is feeling 100% fine now and her kid also tested positive, also feeling totally fine - they were just testing as a matter of course before going to an event.

I'd say try to get a PCR or order a Binax - walmart has them for delivery.