Ethylene oxide on covid swabs?

[Kaylasmum49]

I had a friend send me an article about the swabs used in covid tests being coated in ethylene oxide. It says that there is a risk of certain cancers with using the swabs. I think my friend is being sucked into the conspiracy theories and she keeps trying to get me to read all these theories.

Has anyone heard anything concerning about the swabs. My dd is testing twice weekly for school.

@lyndseylouhugh223

I seriously hope you avoid all fresh fruit and vegetables if you're so concerned about all these toxins - there isn't a single one that doesn't contain something incredibly harmful. Actually, they're not removed by freezing or processing, so probably best if you avoid all food.

Not that drinks are any safer - even water contains radioactive isotopes, heavy metals, cyanides, etc etc

In fact, please just stop all eating and drinking - you'll be so much safer.

@Kaylasmum49 I came here specifically to look for this, so I appreciate you asking too.

Thank you for asking OP, I also saw this yesterday, I'm shocked at how rude some people can be on here.

Ive had 2 friends post this out....both showing a video of some guy they follow talking about this. And a screenshot of a screenshot of some data ....

The well explained details on here have been very reassuring

Actually bananas produce ethylene gas,C2H4 but the covid swabs are sterilised using ethylene oxide C2H4O which is different to what bananas produced and it can be carcinogenic. It is used to make antifreeze, pesticides as well as a sterilising agent. Research this and don't feel forced into inflicting this on your children or yourself.

@JAM52 I heard that too.

Some people have allergies so coming into contact with chemicals may be very harmful for them.

Yes I agree, I have allergies to many different antibiotics and other medications. I am not going to be taking the risk with administering something that is unnecessary. If I have any symptoms of a cold/flu I will stay in bed, with hot lemon and honey and a couple of paracetamol until I feel better, like we have done for centuries. I take a regular dose of vitamin D which is far more important.

Yes, toxins exist everywhere and are in/on many products, surfaces, buildings, foods etc. Hence why the rate of the risk of cancer is now that 1 in 2 people will apparently now get it at some point of their lives.

But can you pin that supposed increase in risk solely toxins ?

This question is one for the resident scientists but I thought reasons postulated for the supposed increase in cancer were down to generally increased longevity ( so more chance of living long enough to suffer from cancer), improvements in healthcare generally (meaning more chance of living long enough to get cancer)and there's also the whole issue of improved testing/scanning means more cancers and benign tumours are being detected at an earlier age.

This question is one for the resident scientists but I thought reasons postulated for the supposed increase in cancer were down to generally increased longevity ( so more chance of living long enough to suffer from cancer), improvements in healthcare generally (meaning more chance of living long enough to get cancer)and there's also the whole issue of improved testing/scanning means more cancers and benign tumours are being detected at an earlier age.
In short, yes. In the old times people mainly did not survive long enough to meet their cancer. This is not to say that there's no environmental factors at play, but when it comes to historical comparison, it is very hard to compare. Living next to a coal-powered factory in the 19th century, or being married to an asbestos mine worker in 1950s is very unlikely to be lower risk compared to eating "toxins" or exposing oneself to a few molecules of carcinogen on a swab today.

Maybe you should do your research so called conspiracy theorists do their homework and research and don’t believe everything MSM which is run by the government tell us it’s called common sense especially an issue like this

I'm a PhD microbiologist nearing the end of my career and used to teach sterilization techniques to BSc & MSc students.
Yes, ethylene oxide (EO) gas is used to sterilize medical swabs but it is then removed by purging with filter-sterliized nitrogen gas and/or filter-sterliized air. Swabs are not "coated in EO". There are well-established protocols for sterilizing medical devices, to make sure that they are as safe as possible for their intended use.
If you are still worried, ask yourself if an unsterilized swab would be safer. Do you think that medical staff would use EO sterilized swabs on themselves, their colleagues or patients if they were unsafe? Do you think that regulatory authorities would allow their use?
Please be reassured that they pose less risk than many everyday activities.

[quote Zig27]@JAM52 I heard that too.

Some people have allergies so coming into contact with chemicals may be very harmful for them.[/quote]
To avoid coming into contact with any chemicals they would have to not only avoid eating and drinking but live in a vacuum. But it would be for very long, they would be dead very quickly which is probably not what they would be intending to achieve.

@JAM52

Actually bananas produce ethylene gas,C2H4 but the covid swabs are sterilised using ethylene oxide C2H4O which is different to what bananas produced and it can be carcinogenic. It is used to make antifreeze, pesticides as well as a sterilising agent. Research this and don't feel forced into inflicting this on your children or yourself.

Don't forget that bananas are radioactive. So much so that radioactivity can be compared using a banana equivalent dose. Don't feel forced into inflicting radioactivity on your children or yourself.

Whilst you're at it, I'm assuming that you've never flown anywhere and don't have granite countertops. No holidays in Devon/Cornwall, either, along with a significant proportion of the rest of the UK.

@KersalMike

I'm a PhD microbiologist nearing the end of my career and used to teach sterilization techniques to BSc & MSc students. Yes, ethylene oxide (EO) gas is used to sterilize medical swabs but it is then removed by purging with filter-sterliized nitrogen gas and/or filter-sterliized air. Swabs are not "coated in EO". There are well-established protocols for sterilizing medical devices, to make sure that they are as safe as possible for their intended use. If you are still worried, ask yourself if an unsterilized swab would be safer. Do you think that medical staff would use EO sterilized swabs on themselves, their colleagues or patients if they were unsafe? Do you think that regulatory authorities would allow their use? Please be reassured that they pose less risk than many everyday activities.

Excellent explanation. Thank you! Are disposable syringes also sterilized in the same way?

@JAM52

Yes I agree, I have allergies to many different antibiotics and other medications. I am not going to be taking the risk with administering something that is unnecessary. If I have any symptoms of a cold/flu I will stay in bed, with hot lemon and honey and a couple of paracetamol until I feel better, like we have done for centuries. I take a regular dose of vitamin D which is far more important.

You know that Paracetamol isn't the seeds of a Paracetamol Tree, right?

It was withdrawn from use within a year of becoming available on prescription in the states in 1950 due to safety concerns, then brought back and now there are very well known risks associated with excessive dosage.

Less than seventy years in the UK is hardly 'for centuries'. It's also been suggested as an ideal thing with which to kill snakes and is deadly to cats. So it's a known poison to certain classes of animal - including human (albeit dose dependent for us).

I have multiple allergies and avoid antibiotics, painkillers and most medication wherever possible. But I also take medication that has a known long term risk of cancer - which is balanced out by the known long term risk of cancer if the condition is left untreated (plus an extra of sudden death, which isn't one of the medication's listed effects, so I think I'm probably ahead on the deal).

Something used to make a swab sterile, that dissipates easily and has only been found to have a risk in huge amounts for employees working with it is so low a risk as to be sod all for a couple of swabs a week, especially compared to the very real risks of Covid.

Truth will set you free

Yes, EO is also used to sterilize dispoable syringes.

Yes I have been seeing this I have this info: Trinity (@Trinity_Aus) Tweeted:
Cancer causing agent ethylene oxide coated on the testing kit. Is it one of many causes of death? This guy thinks so. t.co/wNbkTZhB6G twitter.com/Trinity_Aus/status/1375069914130567168?s=20

And you can look up Covid swabs and ethylene oxide- lots of stuff pops up! It’s definately in them!

I’ve been swabbed many times due to work. I’ve noticed afterwards I have headache and runny nose. What could be the cause?

Christ on a bike, a fuck load of people who snoozed in science class.
People have not being taking paracetamol for centuries
Most folk died of starvation, infectious diseases or injuries, and if they did develop cancer it wasn’t diagnosed.
Just because some randomer tweeted that ethylene oxide is cancer causing does not make carrying out LFTs dangerous ( ineffective possibly), I could tweet whatever I fancied, doesn’t make it true, even if loads of other people repeat the same non fact.

No it's not. See my post above.

Ann107 - seriously? That Twitter video - a random bloke in sunglasses in a car ranting ignorantly about how the government is deliberately trying to kill us with poison swabs?? Seriously??????

You really think it's appropriate to spend time watching stuff like that? Let alone repost it to a forum???

You know that Paracetamol isn't the seeds of a Paracetamol Tree, right?

If ever a response belonged in a Dave Gorman Found Poem it is this.

Hats off to you my dear.

and a couple of paracetamol until I feel better, like we have done for centuries.

Best Response Ever