Are lateral flows safe to do this often?

[LifesTooShortYOLO]

I read somewhere about them being sterilised in a gas that is known to cause cancer?!
I've had to test daily for the last 7 days and test my DS from day 5 to see if he's negative.
It seems risky to keep putting a swab into his nose if it's been covered with this gas?!

It's been roundly debunked as scaremongering.

Of course it's safe.

Are you kidding OP? Seriously, stop reading rubbish on the internet.

You can check the box for how the swab has been sterilised as there’s a few methods.

There’s also a freedom of info paper on gov website you can read.

Oh give over. Really.

How can a gas "cover a swab"?

If there was ethylene oxide from the sterilisation process there isn't left in the LFT packaging, it wouldn't be on the swab would it? It would dissipate into the air when you opened the packet.

I’m fucked if so, done hundreds
Seriously OP, nothing to worry about.

Doesn't pass the sniff test, no pun intended. I wouldn't worry OP.

Are covid tests the new 5G towers?

Bloody hell, she’s just asking a question . If someone doesn’t know something, surely it’s better to ask?

Anyway… it’s fine, OP. They won’t cause you any harm.

The thing about gases is that most of them are lighter than air so they generally escape into the air pretty quickly. I’d be much more worried about stuff like air pollution, wood smoke, fragrances, VOCs, bleach fumes etc and LFTs would be very low on my list of concerns.

This might alleviate your concerns:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-19-april/freedom-of-information-request-about-the-safety-of-ethylene-oxide-eo-and-its-use-to-sterilize-the-swabs-used-in-lateral-flow-tests-foi-21-294

Looks like you’d have to use them for 40 years to have any increased risk at all.

Dd has been testing every day since august for work.

@Yellow85

This might alleviate your concerns:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-19-april/freedom-of-information-request-about-the-safety-of-ethylene-oxide-eo-and-its-use-to-sterilize-the-swabs-used-in-lateral-flow-tests-foi-21-294

Looks like you’d have to use them for 40 years to have any increased risk at all.

Twice a week for 40 years. So if you have to test daily, would that reduce the time it would take for the negative effects?

Where is the source please OP?

Gosh I thought you’d been testing four times a day for rhe last year. Of course it’s safe.

Twice a week for 40 years. So if you have to test daily, would that reduce the time it would take for the negative effects?

It doesn't say that it would take 40 years of using LFTS for there to be negative effects, @TheChip.

The ISO (International Standard Organisation) sets limits for the maximum amount of residual ethylene oxide allowed on medical devices after sterilisation so there is minimal risk of any negative effects. The limits are set depending on how long the medical device is in contact. LFTs are in the lowest contact time catgory - "limited". The next category up is "prolonged", the next category is "permanent". The amount of time considered to be prolonged contact is the equivalent of using an LFT for 20 seconds, twice a week for 40 years.