Since March, a new round of local epidemics on the mainland has affected 28 provinces. In order to win the battle against the epidemic as soon as possible, many places are racing against the virus and conducting round after round of nucleic acid testing. And just when everyone is working together to fight the epidemic and actively cooperate with the sealing and testing, some rumors are also spreading on the Internet.
After doing nucleic acid, drink vinegar to rinse your mouth? Have bacteria on the inspector cuff? rumor!
Recently, a "warm reminder" began to spread in the circle, claiming that "professionals remind everyone: after doing the nucleic acid test, you should immediately shabu your teeth, then drink a large mouthful of white vinegar gargle, and then drink a cup of slightly hot boiled water (it is best to burn the mouth of the water, the virus is afraid of heat). Because on the mouth of the inspector, there may be oral bacteria sprayed by the previous person during the test, adsorbed on the surface of the inspector's cuff. The reminder also said, "This is the immediate family members of the family in the hospital telephone to inform, this outbreak is mostly like this infection."
Tang Rong, head of Mohe Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of test kits, believes that the online legend method is not accurate. When nucleic acid testing is performed, aerosols do appear if the sampled person opens his mouth and sneezes or coughs. However, this does not mean that the aerosol immediately sticks to the inspector. Because the infectivity of aerosols depends on the concentration and ventilation. Currently, nucleic acid testing is performed in well-ventilated conditions, and aerosols are quickly diluted by flowing air, so the risk of cross-infection due to aerosols is very low.
Li Tiechuan, an expert in the prevention and control of infectious diseases at the Luoyang Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that medical staff participating in nucleic acid sampling will spray alcohol immediately after completing a sample, and strictly disinfect their hands, so there will be no possibility of infection. Secondly, the throat swab used by medical staff is a long cotton swab, and the operator can effectively avoid touching the face of the person being collected when sampling, so there will be no infection.
"Drinking vinegar will not kill the new crown virus, but will stimulate people's gastrointestinal tract, another way of drinking hot water to kill the new crown virus, is also a rumor of flower transfer." Li Tiechuan said that the new coronavirus will lose its activity in 30 minutes at a temperature of 56 ° C, can only survive for 15 minutes in 75 ° C water, and will die in 1 minute in a 100 ° C environment, "The normal tolerable temperature of the human esophageal mucosa is 40 to 50 ° C, and drinking hot water with too high a temperature will only increase the risk of esophageal cancer." ”
It should be reminded that when sampling the throat swab for nucleic acid detection, the sampled person can make an "ah" mouth shape without making an "ah" sound, which also helps to reduce aerosol production.
But all in all, the public doesn't have to worry too much about the risk of cross-infection when nucleic acids are sampled.
Are sampled swabs of nucleic acid detection and antigen detection toxic? rumor!
Recently, a rumor spread on the Internet, to the effect that "there are reagents on the cotton swabs used in sampling, toxic", and even some netizens have said that the elderly at home do not want to participate in nucleic acid screening after seeing relevant rumors, and let the juniors also try not to carry out nucleic acid testing and antigen testing.
Image source: Shanghai Network Debunking Rumors
What exactly are the cotton swabs used for nucleic acid testing and antigen testing? Are there reagents on it? Is it really toxic? According to the Shanghai rumor dispelling platform, the same answer was obtained from a number of test kit manufacturers, "The sampled cotton swab is not the same as the cotton swab used in daily life, but it does not contain reagents and is not toxic." ”
Nucleic acid detection and antigen detection sampling of cotton swabs mainly have nasal swabs and throat swabs in two forms, throat swabs are generally 15 cm long, nasal swabs are 6-8 cm long, antigen detection kit manufacturers, Mohe Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. head Tang Rong introduced, we see the sampling of the "cotton swab" and our daily use of degreasing cotton swab is not the same thing, should not be called "cotton swab" should be called "sampling swab", mainly composed of nylon staple fiber fluff and medical grade ABS plastic rod.
The sampling swab uses spray and electrostatic charge flocking methods to allow millions of nylon microfibers to adhere vertically and evenly to the end of the stalk.
The flocking process also does not produce toxic substances, and the flocking method allows nylon fiber bundles to form capillaries, which is conducive to the absorption of liquid samples like strong hydraulics. Compared to traditional winding swabs, flocked swabs can keep microbial samples on the surface of the fibers, quickly eluting > 95% of the original sample, easily increasing the sensitivity of detection.
Tang Rong said that the sampling swab is produced for sampling, does not contain any soaking reagent itself, and does not need to contain reagents, it is only used to scrape off cells and virus samples into the virus inactivation preservation solution in order to carry out nucleic acid detection.
Sample swab amplification. Image source: Shanghai Network Debunking Rumors
Shanghai citizens who have experienced "sealing and screening" have also experienced the detection process of sampling swabs: the inspectors will extend the collection swab to the pharynx or nose and rub it a few times, and then take a sampling tube in their left hand, and insert the sampled "cotton swab" into the sampling tube with their right hand. When using the antigen detection kit, the sample sample should be rotated and mixed in the preservation solution for at least 30 seconds after sampling, and then the swab head should be squeezed by hand across the outer wall of the sampling tube for at least 5 seconds, so that the sample elution is completed.
So why do some people have mild sore throat, nausea and other symptoms after the test? Tang Rong said that this has nothing to do with taking swabs. It may be due to individual differences, some people have a sensitive throat, or it may be caused by the operation of the testing personnel, which will soon be relieved after stopping the collection, and will not cause harm to the body.
In addition, the sampling swab belongs to the disposable sampler, is a class of medical device products, according to national regulations, not only production to be recorded, but also has strict production environment requirements and quality supervision standards, qualified products are certainly non-toxic and harmless.
The "disposable sampler" is a common product in the medical field, which can sample different parts and is also used in different detection behaviors, and is not specially produced for nucleic acid detection or antigen detection.
Therefore, whether from the material or the production, processing, inspection process, sampling swabs have strict standards to ensure that they are non-toxic and harmless, and can be used with confidence.
current
The national epidemic prevention and control situation is grim and complex
Be sure not to spread rumors or disbelieve rumors
Farmers Daily synthesizes from Chaoyang Rumor Dispelling WeChat Public Account, Science and Technology Daily WeChat Public Account, Xinhua News Agency client
Producer: Du Lanping Editor: Ni Yang Jinzi (Trainee)