Lateral-Flow tests are now to become gateways to enter crowded places. They were supposed also to be an early-warning system to reduce the spread of Covid in the UK. Instead the uptake of test-kits that’s dropped dramatically. And they can very easily be ‘fooled’.

The UK government website boasts: ‘Lateral flow tests are practical, easy to interpret and can be used in a wide range of settings. This makes them ideal for widespread use in the community.’

That’s true if the person administering the tests on himself or herself wants the true result. But what if the intent is to use the test as a ‘free pass’ to get in to a place or event — and the person doing the test does not really want to know the truth?