Registration card from lateral flow COVID-19 test taken at a test site, 2021

In April 2021, lateral flow tests were introduced in the UK for widespread asymptomatic testing. They were intended to be used for regular testing to identify COVID-19 cases when people did not have any symptoms. It was thought that around 1 in 3 people who had COVID-19 had no symptoms but could still pass the virus on to other people. The government encouraged people to lateral flow test twice a week. Unlike the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that had previously been the only test available, lateral flow tests do not need to be sent to a lab and can give you a result in less than 30 minutes. As this test registration card shows, lateral flow tests were available at both test sites and as home testing kits.