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.

🙄 Some people shouldn't be given access to the internet.

@ChoicesandValues

Anti-vax BS posted on thread about COVID-19 testing - CHECK
Use of term "vaxxed" instead of "vaccinated" - CHECK
Sees humans as "lab rats" in some sort of dystopian experiment - CHECK
Reference to Bill Gates trying to take over the word - CHECK

Ignore...

Hello everyone.

We’re getting a number of reports about anti-vax sentiment and misinformation. Mumsnet, being an open site, does mean that this kind of thing tends to be robustly challenged on the boards, and many users are here looking for reassurance after all.

We're always on alert to anyone here with a specific agenda to share a particular (often extreme) point of view. We'll usually ban such posters as their contributions to threads are rarely helpful. We also delete links to sites that are clearly peddling bad science/fake news.
We think, especially with the emergence of new vaccines, it’s understandable people will want to discuss what’s involved - but we’d always urge anyone with questions to speak to a medical professional too. You can also find further information about vaccines on the NHS website. www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

@Saucery

So she’s getting sucked into batshit anti-vacc conspiracy theories and you thought you’d spread them further on here? I wish MNHQ would clamp down on these disingenuous anti-vacc posts.

What ARE you on about?

This has nothing to do with vaccines.

@BuildThemSkywards

Hi. Chemist here. While I don't work with ethylene oxide myself, I understand enough to have a say.

Ethylene oxide is a gas which is used in the sterilisation process. If you look at the safety data sheet for it then, yes, it looks scary. But that is for people such as chemists/ those handling it so they can see the worst case scenario and risk assess properly.

There have been plenty of papers done which look at the risk of ethylene oxide as a sanitising agent. All which I have seen state that levels of EO on swabs are below measurable levels after 3 weeks. So the risk EO exposure is negligible. The cancer risk you mention is for those who work with it in extremely high concentrations, and even then that can be managed with the correct control measures.

I wasn't worried about them, but thank you for taking the time to write your post. I'll feel better informed next time someone raises the issue. 💐

& you motorina💐

@ABCED

You seem like a bit of a cunt

To whom do you refer?

So many
Options!!

This is a forum for parents who are voicing ANY concerns they may have for their children.
Therefore it is a legitimate question for all of us to consider....
I have no doubt that a one off swan poses very little risk . However you have to consider that IF 2 test per week extends to 3,4,5 tests which is a real possibility. Furthermore it is likely to be extended for Months ( 3 according to our Prime Minister) but that too could be extended if this 3rd wave is upon us.Then the exposure IS a real concern to all of us and our children.
Maybe we all need to take this more seriously and ask for some clarification of the long term effects should more testing for longer periods become the norm..

@Ascull

This is a forum for parents who are voicing ANY concerns they may have for their children. Therefore it is a legitimate question for all of us to consider.... I have no doubt that a one off swan poses very little risk . However you have to consider that IF 2 test per week extends to 3,4,5 tests which is a real possibility. Furthermore it is likely to be extended for Months ( 3 according to our Prime Minister) but that too could be extended if this 3rd wave is upon us.Then the exposure IS a real concern to all of us and our children. Maybe we all need to take this more seriously and ask for some clarification of the long term effects should more testing for longer periods become the norm..

Try reading the scientific evidence why this isn't an issue

It's all in posts previous to yours FGS.

Thank you to all of the scientific people posting. Please don't give up
Posting on these threads - despite some people thinking they know better after having googled/watched YouTube.

It's appreciated by many of us 💐

@Kaylasmum49. Thank you for asking.

@Ascull

This is a forum for parents who are voicing ANY concerns they may have for their children. Therefore it is a legitimate question for all of us to consider.... I have no doubt that a one off swan poses very little risk . However you have to consider that IF 2 test per week extends to 3,4,5 tests which is a real possibility. Furthermore it is likely to be extended for Months ( 3 according to our Prime Minister) but that too could be extended if this 3rd wave is upon us.Then the exposure IS a real concern to all of us and our children. Maybe we all need to take this more seriously and ask for some clarification of the long term effects should more testing for longer periods become the norm..

There are multiple responses from trained scientific experts explaining why this is a non-issue and reassuring OP, if you're choosing to ignore them then you are being deliberately obtuse in order to peddle your own agenda. OP asked a valid question and sought advice from people with proper scientific knowledge, she wasn't asking Joe Bloggs what nonsense he'd on Facebook.

@shrodingersbiscuit but those swabs are magic don't you know. According to the Facebook "scientists" they can penetrate the Blood Brain Barrier. Yes sadly I know someone who actually believes this. It is tragic. They also contain nano particles that can alter your DNA apparently.

@Ascull - I have no doubt that a one off swan poses very little risk

On the contrary, I would suggest even a single swan would be a considerable choking hazard.

I watched the video and was really worried, if you Google the dangers of ethylene oxide it can cause all these things, then I saw this so don't know what to believe now
www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-ethylene-oxide-idUSL1N2LO1YM

O and I know it's not in the remit of this thread but'I stunned to read that the vaccine could give you AIDS and the flu jab and masks are killing people not COVID. Unbelievable @shrodingersbiscuit

@bexit ^Some people on here, honestly, do you not think for yourselves anymore?
My kids who are 15 & 16 don’t get tested. Why? Well, for the past 16 years, I’ve relied on symptoms, you know, when we sneeze or run a temperature, cough or have a sore throat- to tell me if they are ill, and it’s worked. So, I won’t be sticking anything up their noses, not until I have a valid reason to...^

The problem with this is that Covid can be asymptomatic - so the symptoms you rely on to tell whether your kid had it, are not there. Hence the asymptomatic testing programme

This post isn’t remotely anti vaxx, it’s someone asking questions which surely we should all do before we blindly stuff Ethylene Oxide up our children’s and ourselves noses twice a week???
Surely we should educate ourselves let’s not forget thalidomide was safe too

I'm glad I have seen this. I found the article about it yesterday and got me a little worried. As I have been testing twice a week for a long time now.
But reading some comments have put my mind at ease.
So thank you.

@Louiseasksquestions

This post isn’t remotely anti vaxx, it’s someone asking questions which surely we should all do before we blindly stuff Ethylene Oxide up our children’s and ourselves noses twice a week??? Surely we should educate ourselves let’s not forget thalidomide was safe too

You missed it. ChoicesandValues posted a load of anti-vax conspiracy nonsense about Bill Gates to this thread. Moderators quite rightly deleted it.

Well she wasn't really asking people with scientific knowledge on mumsnet was she she was asking us mums

My thoughts exactly x

I don't come on mumsnet anymore. I occasionally use it for info which is why I'm here. I debated whether I should comment but having read some of the quite frankly despicable "cancel" comments I felt complied.

Whatever happened to debate? We all have opinions and i personally, once I've waded through the really quite revolting comments including one accusing someone of being a C* i have actually found it useful.

I don't think anyone should be made to feel bad for questioning. In all honesty I have decided to withdraw consent for regular testing of my children. Partly because of safety fears of long term swabbing, but also because I think it's pointless.

My son hates it, gets nosebleeds and generally runs the other way so I've spoken to the school and they are fine about it.

Looking at the data from the bmj there are papers suggesting that these tests are not accurate for asymptomatic people and actually work better on people with symptoms. They did actually advise against testing way back in January

blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/01/12/covid-19-government-must-urgently-rethink-lateral-flow-test-roll-out/

If you read it you'll see the government bought a whole load of tests at great expense prior to even knowing if they were effective. They needed to get rid of them.

And now the bmj are saying that they are not really that accurate.

www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n823

Whatever you decide, it is personal given that we are making decisions for and on behalf of our kids. And spare me the vitriol of argument for the greater good. If my child develops symptoms i will test and depending on the results, go into isolation, but otherwise I'm not going to.