Np. It's inherent to how these lateral flow immunoassay tests work, that there are fragments of viral proteins (spike, envelope, membrane) embedded in the test. That is not the virus. You could gargle a cup of them and not become infected, because they are missing the 30,000 base RNA payload of the virus that it needs to get into your cells to replicate.

There are two kinds of LFI tests, a test for antigens (looking for the proteins in the sample), and a test for antibodies (looking for antibodies for the proteins in the sample).

The way they work is your sample flows along a capiliary bed, past a tagged mobile element, and it carries it along until it meets a second immobilized element and that is where the line appears in the test.

For an antigen test if the sample contains antigen, the mobile phase is an antibody for the protein fragments that has a gold particle attached to it. The stationary phase is another copy of the fragment that the antibody also sticks to ... and you get a red line appearing just like a pregnancy test.

For an antibody test if the sample contains the antibody, the mobile phase is a copy of the protein fragment conjugated to a gold particle. It is carried along till it meets the stationary phase which is another protein fragment ... and that also indicates with a red line showing you that the antibody was in the sample.

Normally there is a plastic capsule around the test that prevents any of the reagents getting out. But if that is not perfect then an antibody test may leak some of the mobile phase which will contain protein fragments from the virus and will trigger any test for antigen. Doesn't mean the test has any virus on it.

http://youtu.be/z07CK-4JoFo

-- Richard Morris