The cotton swabs supplied by Walloon company Any-Shape, delivered by the government to Covid-19 test centres reportedly causes discomfort to many adults and children, the specialised medical magazine 'Medi-Sphère' wrote.
"We have been confronted for 15 days with a problem of swabs. They are very sharp. Even rubbing them on the finger hurts," said Dr. Maxime Delvaulx, a medical assistant at the Lasne Test Drive In.
"These swabs get caught in the nose hair and they make one out of two patients bleed. When used, they are rigid and they break very quickly," Delvaulx said.
Doctors would therefore no longer use them in children and adults taking blood thinners.
In a reaction to 'Medi-Sphère', Any-Shape points out that it is clearly indicated in the leaflet that the swabs are not intended for children or patients taking blood thinners, and called into question "the position in which the tests are carried out in cars. The position is not ideal. I remind you that we have a video on our site with the correct procedure to follow," said Any-Shape CEO Roger Cocle.
Some doctors in the test centres also refer to shortages. However, the competent minister, Philippe De Backer, denies that there is a shortage of cotton swabs.
The Brussels Times
