Recently, there are rumors that the sampling swab used in nucleic acid and antigen detection is toxic and looks even more shocking: it (sampling swab) is not called a Cotton Swab, because it is a chemical fiber, and its professional name is fluorescent probe. It contains easily broken nylon fiber, carcinogenic highly toxic ethylene oxide, mogilons fiber, radioactive element technetium, carcinogenic fluorescent agents... It will damage the blood-brain barrier, facial nerve and olfactory nerve.
This rumor is not new. Since the outbreak of this round of epidemic, the sampling swabs have been poisonous, and they will appear every once in a while, which can be clarified all the time. In late April, the Shanghai Municipal Drug Administration Department also said at the Shanghai epidemic prevention and control press conference that it would implement high-frequency supervision on covid-19 reagents, medical masks, protective clothing, disposable samplers (swabs), etc. However, or because some members of the public do not understand the composition and function of the sampling swab, as well as the principle of nucleic acid and antigen detection, they misunderstand the sampling swab, leading to false rumors.
There is no mogilons fiber
According to the verification, the latest rumor that the sampling swab is not a cotton swab but a chemical fiber is not wrong, but other statements are wrong.
At present, the top of most nucleic acid and antigen sampling swabs are not absorbent cotton of daily cotton swabs, but nylon fiber flocking swabs. However, this does not mean that the fibers of the sampling swab are easy to break. The fine nylon fiber is fixed on the top of the sampler to better collect samples.
The rumor that mogilons fiber is nonsense. There is no mojilong fiber in the raw material market, only the controversial medical symptom named mojilong disease. The combination of Morgellons' disease and sampling swabs is completely nonsense, and the rumor mongers deliberately mislead the public with obscure words.
The swab does not contain technetium oxide
The sampling swab is produced for sampling and does not contain any soaking reagent or reagent; At the same time, sampling swabs belong to medical devices, and the basic requirement of qualified products is non-toxic and harmless. Therefore, the rumored ethylene oxide technetium is also irrelevant to the sampling swab.
According to national regulations, sampling swabs, also known as disposable samplers, belong to medical device products, which not only need to be recorded for production, but also have strict production environmental requirements and quality supervision standards. Qualified products are definitely non-toxic and harmless. At the same time, the sampling swab is a general product in the medical field, which can sample different parts and also be used in different detection behaviors. It is not specially produced for nucleic acid detection or antigen detection, so the swab will not contain other reagents.
Fluorescence detection is the operation after sampling, which has nothing to do with citizens
The online news also includes the statement that the professional name of the sampling swab is that the fluorescent probe contains carcinogenic fluorescent agents. According to experts, fluorescent probes are indeed involved in nucleic acid detection, but they are completely different from sampling swabs. The sampling swab is a sampler used to collect human samples on the inner surface of the nasopharynx in the sampling links of antigen detection and nucleic acid detection. Fluorescent probes are used in sample detection, which refer to DNA probes labeled with fluorescent molecules. This component belongs to PCR reaction reagent, which needs to be kept away from light at -20 ℃. It is only added and used in laboratory test tubes. In short, in the swab sampling process, fluorescent probes will not be used at all, which is unlikely to affect the health of citizens. Mixing the fluorescent probe with the sampling swab shows that the rumor monger has sinister intentions.
The sampling swab does not need to be sterile
There are also rumors that most of the sampling swabs currently used are not labeled sterile, so they are unsafe. This is another misunderstanding about the sterility and non sterility of medical devices.
In the field of medical devices, the concepts of sterility and non sterility are different from the common understanding. Sterility refers to the state without viable microorganisms. After sterilization, the theoretical probability of the existence of viable microorganisms in sterile medical devices should not exceed the negative power of 10. Therefore, sterile medical devices are required only in the use environment with particularly high requirements. While non sterile and non sterile medical devices cannot be as strict as sterile medical devices, which are almost free of bacteria, they will not hide dirt. All medical devices must meet certain health requirements before they can be qualified for marketing. Qualified products on the market can be safely used and sampled.
In order to dispel the public's concern about non sterile sampling swabs, experts also cited an example: daily paper towels and other non sterile products often directly contact the mouth, nose, eyes and other parts, but the public did not get sick. Therefore, there is no need to worry about non sterile sampling swabs. However, if the unused sampling swabs are found to be damaged or contaminated, they should be discarded, and the supplier can be contacted to protect their rights.
Why do you feel uncomfortable in your throat or nose after sampling?
Some netizens also suggested that they felt uncomfortable in their pharynx and nose after each sampling, so they suspected that the sampling swab was toxic. This is also a misunderstanding of sampling swabs.
Industry insiders pointed out that there are individual differences. Some people's throat or nasal cavity are sensitive to sampling, so they will feel uncomfortable after sampling. In addition, there are also differences in the operation methods of detection personnel. As the saying goes, gestures are light and heavy, which may also cause some discomfort. However, these discomfort will be relieved soon after stopping sampling, and will not cause harm to the body, which has nothing to do with the sampling swab.
Some time ago, local epidemics occurred in many parts of the country, so it is necessary to carry out multiple rounds of nucleic acid testing for all staff again. I believe nucleic acid has become one of our daily work. Sometimes when we see nucleic acid spots, we always want to queue up to do it once, just for two words of peace of mind.
August 03, 2022
