On June 9, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference to introduce the situation of epidemic prevention and control and answer questions from reporters.
At the meeting, a reporter asked a question. The recent rumors that the nucleic acid detection sampling cotton swabs contain fluorescent agents, ethylene oxide and other carcinogens have attracted widespread attention.
There are also public reports that the nausea after taking nucleic acid is relatively strong, and it is suspected that there are some irritating substances in it, which will cause serious harm to the body.
Are these rumors true?
In this regard, Li Jinming, deputy director of the National Health Commission's Clinical Inspection Center, said that the sampling swab looks like a cotton swab, but it is not a cotton swab. Its material is polyester or nylon fiber, which is similar to a toothbrush in daily life. The bristles of the toothbrush Also nylon.
During the process of the sampling swab, millions of tiny fibers are vertically and evenly covered on the end of the swab handle.
During the sampling time, it is like brushing your teeth with a toothbrush, but it is to brush the posterior pharyngeal wall of the mouth to take cells, and then put the sampling swab into the sampling tube. Because it is made of polyester or nylon fiber, it is easy to remove In the preservation solution, the relevant testing will be carried out by the laboratory later.
Regarding the problem of nausea or irritation during sampling, Li Jinming said that sampling swabs are medical devices, and their production environment and requirements are very strict. There are also relevant standards for quality supervision. The most basic requirement is non-toxic and harmless. .
No harmful substances will be produced during the production process of the sampling swab. As for the sampling process, for example, if there is discomfort or nausea, there will be some stimulation. Different people react differently. For example, some people have a more sensitive pharynx. , After sampling, they feel uncomfortable, and some people will have a greater tolerance.
Therefore, during the sampling process, when the back wall of the pharynx is scraped, some people are stimulated and feel a foreign body, which will cause itching or vomiting, and the individual differences are relatively large.
Li Jinming said that there is another situation. At the time of sampling, the mouth is usually open, and some people have the soft palate together with the base of the tongue. To ensure the quality of sampling, the person in charge of sampling will dig in to find the throat. The posterior wall and tonsils are stimulated when they are probed, and some people have a very strong response to the stimulation, such as vomiting and coughing, but once the sampling is completed, it is easy to relieve.
So sampling is not harmful to the individual.
(Making Yueziyan)
Responsible editor: [Ji Xiang]