"During the great COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are being tested to see if they are infected with the virus SARS-CoV-2. The test involves a sample being taken deep into a nasal cavity, using a medical swab. Naturally, a sterile swab must be employed, and these devices are sterilized with ethylene oxide in large batches..The sterile swabs are then shipped to contract warehouses, strategically located around the country.
Ideally, these sterile loads should be aerated for a number of hours, but the pandemic and the attendant and growing desire for testing inevitably means that corners may sometimes be cut. Thus, there is a concern on the part of both the warehouse operators and swab manufacturers regarding the potential exposure of their employees to toxic levels of ethylene oxide."
https://www.gasdetection.com/gas-detection-knowledge-base/interesting-applications/covid-19-swabs-ethylene-oxide-and-warehouses/
CDC: "The main disadvantages associated with ETO are the lengthy cycle time, the cost, and its potential hazards to patients and staff...
ETO is absorbed by many materials. For this reason, following sterilization the item must undergo aeration to remove residual ETO. Guidelines have been promulgated regarding allowable ETO limits for devices that depend on how the device is used, how often, and how long in order to pose a minimal risk to patients in normal product use."
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/sterilization/ethylene-oxide.html
"During the great COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are being tested to see if they are infected with the virus SARS-CoV-2. The test involves a sample being taken deep into a nasal cavity, using a medical swab. Naturally, a sterile swab must be employed, and these devices are sterilized with ethylene oxide in large batches..The sterile swabs are then shipped to contract warehouses, strategically located around the country.
Ideally, these sterile loads should be aerated for a number of hours, but the pandemic and the attendant and growing desire for testing inevitably means that **corners may sometimes be cut.** Thus, there is a concern on the part of both the warehouse operators and swab manufacturers regarding the potential exposure of their employees to toxic levels of ethylene oxide."
https://www.gasdetection.com/gas-detection-knowledge-base/interesting-applications/covid-19-swabs-ethylene-oxide-and-warehouses/
[It’s Not Easy to Get a Coronavirus Test for a Child -NYT](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/09/13/upshot/13up-virus-children-tests-print/merlin_176309922_70d41a70-e906-46fd-8366-eb96f98e4468-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
[CDC: Ethylene oxide may have more health effects than cancer
](https://www.medicaldesignandoutsourcing.com/cdc-ethylene-oxide-may-have-more-health-effects-than-cancer/)
[Chicagotribune: Officials knew ethylene oxide was linked to cancer for decades. Here's why it's still being emitted in Willowbrook and Waukegan.
](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-ethylene-oxide-sterigenics-cancer-science-20181214-story.html)
CDC: "The main disadvantages associated with ETO are the lengthy cycle time, the cost, and its potential hazards to patients and staff...
ETO is absorbed by many materials. For this reason, following sterilization the item must undergo aeration to remove residual ETO. Guidelines have been promulgated regarding allowable ETO limits for devices that depend on how the device is used, how often, and how long in order to pose a minimal risk to patients in normal product use."
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/sterilization/ethylene-oxide.html
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