Covid-19: Antigen Test Self-Test Swabs Must Be Sterilized?

Covid-19 antigen test self-test swabs must be sterilized?

New crown antigen test self-test sampling swabs must be sterilized? Alcohol disinfection is required before “non-sterile sterilization”?

Yesterday, a colleague looked at the record, it was about the swab used for the self-testing agent for the covid-19 antigen.

One user found that the swabs were non-sterile flocked swab during use, while some communities received sterilized cotton swabs.

Therefore, it is recommended to sterilize the flocked swab with 75% alcohol before using it.

Experts and industry insiders say such concerns are unnecessary as long as qualified products from formal channels are used.

If citizens receive swabs that are suspected to be damaged or contaminated, please discard them directly according to relevant requirements.

Is it risky to use “non-sterile” and “unsterilized” sampling swabs?

Sterile flocked swabs specimen collection

Specifically, there are two main problems that netizens worry about:

First, they are worried that the sampling swabs will be “bacteria”, which will affect the results of antigen testing.

Such as “false positives” And so on;

The second is to worry about the “bacteria” of the sampling flocked swab.

During the sampling process, the “bacteria” will be brought into the human body, affecting health.

75% alcohol can indeed disinfect cotton swabs, but a flocked swab with 75% alcohol may denature the scraped viral proteins!

The antigen is no longer that antigen, so it may lead to missed detection!

You must know that the antigen test “looks” for the antibodies produced by the new coronavirus infected person.

The display window of the reagent strip contains a protein that can recognize the antibody, like a dam, which intercepts the colloidal gold combined with the virus antibody, which is displayed in the display window. is red.

Therefore, even if the sampling swab contains “bacteria”, the kit will “ignore” it and focus on “finding” the antibodies produced by the new coronavirus infected person.

Since the kit is not interfered with by “bacteria”, it will not affect the results of antigen detection.

For some people who think that “bacteria” sampling swabs will affect human health, experts say that this may be due to a lack of understanding of “sterile” products.

Sterile ones are the best.

Ethylene Oxide Covid Test Sterile Swab

Flocked Nasopharyngeal Swab Suppliers and Manufacturers

However, the use of sterile flocked swabs is not mandatory, and the use of non-sterile ones will not affect the detection effect.

For the EU CE self-test, it must be equipped with a sterile CE certified swab.

Non-sterile flocked swabs also have requirements for the number of colonies.

Non-sterile swabs are also sold in the EU (probably for professional use).

A group of friends also said: “I would rather not sterilize it. As it is now, if the epoxy desorption time is not enough, it will be sold. It is better not to sterilize it. Anyway, the oral and nasopharynx is not a sterile environment, so what are you afraid of?”

The expert replied: “Swabs are generally sterilized by irradiation, and less sterilized by ethylene oxide (EO). Even if sterilized by EO, they are packaged in dialysis paper. The general standard for ethylene oxide analysis is 14 days. If the heat is accelerated, it will usually be out in 3 days. Counting the storage and logistics time.

It is basically enough for 14 days, and it is safe for the testers.”

In summary:

The European self-test product is equipped with a sterilized swab, which seems to be a product below the European standard.

At the same time, non-sterile swabs can also be used, but they must meet quality inspection standards, such as colony count.

Finally, remind everyone, do not to use alcohol to disinfect swabs, which may cause missed inspections! Of course, the outer package of the reagent can be sterilized if it is conditional!