Kids are using soft drinks to fake positive COVID tests — I’ve worked out the science and how to spot it

First, I thought it best to check the claims, so I cracked open bottles of cola and orange juice, then deposited a few drops directly onto LFTs. Sure enough, a few minutes later, two lines appeared on each test, supposedly indicating the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. It’s worth understanding how the tests work. If you open up an LFT device, you’ll find a strip of paper-like material, called nitrocellulose, and a small red pad, hidden under the plastic casing below the T-line. Absorbed to the red pad are <a href="https://pdb101.rcsb.org/motm/21" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">antibodies</a> that bind to the COVID-19 virus. They are also attached to <a href="https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/GB/en/technical-documents/technical-article/materials-science-and-engineering/biosensors-and-imaging/gold-nanoparticles" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">gold nanoparticles</a> (tiny particles of gold actually appear red), which allow us to see where the antibodies are on the device. When you do a test, you mix your sample with a liquid buffer solution, ensuring the sample stays at an optimum pH, before dripping it on the strip. <a href="https://mark-lorch.medium.com/kids-are-using-soft-drinks-to-fake-positive-covid-tests-ive-worked-out-the-science-and-how-to-af35c246d6bf">Read More</a>