Teenagers figure out how to fake positive Covid tests using lemon juice

British teenagers are using TikTok to learn and share tips for faking positive Covid-19 tests as hundreds of thousands of pupils in “bubbles” are already being forced to miss school.

Clips of young people applying various liquids to lateral flow tests have racked up millions of views on the popular video app, with many users offering suggestions.

Videos uploaded under the search term #fakecovidtest have been viewed more than 6.5 million times, with the dedicated account @.fakecovidtests gaining more than 20,000 followers.

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Education leaders have warned that the practice is “massively unhelpful” as schools already battle to keep education going amid outbreaks.

“We are sure this involves a very small minority of pupils, and that for the most part the tests are used correctly,” Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told i.

“However, we would urge parents to ensure that tests are not being misused, and we would suggest to pupils who are interested in chemical reactions that the best place to learn about them is in chemistry lessons in school.”

A single video has been viewed more than 2.5m times since it was uploaded on 1 April, while others have received more than 289,000 and 71,000 views respectively.

Apple sauce, Coca Cola, vinegar, hand sanitiser and kiwi fruit are among the suggestions users are encouraging others to apply to the tests in the hope of testing positive for Covid-19 and being made to stay away from school.

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