Background The COVID-19 pandemic created the need for very large scale, rapid testing to prevent and contain transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Lateral flow device (LFD) immunoassays meet this need by indicating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigen from nose/throat swab washings in 30 minutes without laboratory processing, and can be manufactured quickly at low cost. Since March 2021, UK schools have asked pupils without symptoms to test twice weekly. Pupils have posted on social media about using soft drinks to create positive results. The aim of this study was to systematically test a variety soft drinks to determine whether they can cause false false positive LFD results. Methods This study used 14 soft drinks and 4 artificial sweeteners to determine the outcome of misusing them as analyte for the Innova SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid qualitative LFD. The pH value, sugar content and ingredients of each sample are described. The LFD results were double read and a subset was repeated using the same devices and fake analytes but differently sourced. Findings One sample (1/14; 7%), spring water, produced a negative result. Ten drinks (10/14; 71%) produced a positive or weakly positive result. Three samples (3/14; 21%) produced void results, mostly the fruit concentrate drinks. There was no apparent correlation between the pH value (pH 5.0 in 13/14, 93%; pH 6.5 in 1/14; 7%) or the sugar content (range 0-10.7 grams per 100mls) of the drinks and their LFD result. The 4 artificial sweeteners all produced negative results. A subset of the results was fully replicated with differently sourced materials. Interpretation Several soft drinks can be misused to give false positive SARS-CoV-2 LFD results. Daily LFD testing should be performed first thing in the morning, prior to the consumption of any food or drinks, and supervised where feasible. Funding This work was self-funded by author LO and the LFD were gifted for use in this study.

中文翻译：

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软饮料可能会被误用以提供假阳性 SARS-CoV-2 侧向流动装置结果

背景 COVID-19 大流行产生了对非常大规模、快速测试的需求，以预防和遏制 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的传播。侧流装置 (LFD) 免疫测定法通过在 30 分钟内从鼻/喉拭子清洗液中指示 SARS-CoV-2 抗原的存在来满足这一需求，无需实验室处理，并且可以以低成本快速制造。自 2021 年 3 月以来，英国学校要求没有症状的学生每周进行两次测试。学生们在社交媒体上发布了关于使用软饮料来创造积极成果的帖子。本研究的目的是系统地测试各种软饮料，以确定它们是否会导致假阳性 LFD 结果。方法 本研究使用 14 种软饮料和 4 种人造甜味剂来确定误用它们作为 Innova SARS-CoV-2 抗原快速定性 LFD 分析物的结果。描述了每个样品的pH值、糖含量和成分。LFD 结果是双重读取的，并且使用相同的设备和假分析物重复了一个子集，但来源不同。结果 一个样本（1/14；7%），泉水，产生了阴性结果。10 杯饮料 (10/14；71%) 产生阳性或弱阳性结果。三个样品（3/14；21%）产生无效结果，主要是浓缩果汁饮料。饮料的 pH 值（13/14 中的 pH 5.0，93%；1/14 中的 pH 6.5；7%）或含糖量（范围 0-10.7 克/100 毫升）与其 LFD 结果之间没有明显的相关性. 4 种人造甜味剂均产生负面结果。结果的一个子集被不同来源的材料完全复制。解释 几种软饮料可能会被滥用，导致 SARS-CoV-2 LFD 结果假阳性。每日 LFD 测试应在早上的第一件事中进行，在食用任何食物或饮料之前，并在可行的情况下进行监督。资助这项工作由作者 LO 自筹资金，并且 LFD 被赠予用于本研究。