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50 calls made to poison control centres overexposure
to COVID-19 rapid test kit ingredients
CBC News ·
Posted: Feb 24, 2022 3:04 PM ET
A health care worker hands out COVID-19 rapid tests to people at the Bear Creek rapid test
distribution centre in Surrey, B.C. on Jan. 18. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
At least 50 calls have been made to poison control centres in Canada over accidental exposure to certain ingredients in COVID-19 rapid test kits, which can be poisonous if swallowed or absorbed through the skin, warns Health Canada.
In an advisory released on Thursday, the federal department stressed the kits are safe and effective when used as intended. However, many test kits include liquid solutions with chemical preservatives, such as sodium azide and ProClin preservatives that can pose a danger if ingested — particularly for children and pets.
"Small doses of sodium azide can lower blood pressure, and larger doses may cause more serious health effects. ProClin is also found in many kits. It contains chemicals that can cause skin and eye irritation, as well as allergic reactions," the advisory continues.
It also notes that the various rapid test kits made available for people to use from local health units, schools, workplaces or other avenues might not have labelling or instructions that disclose the risks associated with "misuse or accidental ingestion."
Health Canada recommends to:
Keep rapid antigen test kits and solutions out of the reach of children and pets.
Do not swallow the solutions, and avoid eye and skin contact.
Wash hands thoroughly after use. If spillage occurs, rinse well with water.
Follow all instructions for proper disposal.
Report any health product-related side effects or complaints to Health Canada.
Contact your local poison information and control centre in cases of accidental ingestion of chemicals or direct skin exposure.
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Nerve damage may explain some cases of long COVID, U.S. study suggests
60% of patients in small study had nerve damage, which may point to new treatments
Thomson Reuters ·
Posted: Mar 02, 2022 11:57 AM ET
A small study of patients suffering from persistent symptoms long after a bout of COVID-19 found that nearly 60 per cent had nerve damage possibly caused by a defective immune response, a finding that could point to new treatments, researchers have found.
The new U.S. study involved in-depth exams of 17 people with so-called long COVID, a condition that arises within three months of a COVID-19 infection and lasts at least two months.
"I think what's going on here is that the nerves that control things like our breathing, blood vessels and our digestion in some cases are damaged in these long COVID patients," said Dr. Anne Louise Oaklander, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a lead author on the study published in the journal Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation.
As many as 30 per cent of people who have COVID-19 are believed to develop long COVID, a condition with symptoms ranging from fatigue, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, cognitive difficulties, chronic pain, sensory abnormalities and muscle weakness.
Oaklander and colleagues focused on patients with symptoms consistent with a type of nerve damage known as peripheral neuropathy. All but one had had mild cases of COVID-19, and none had nerve damage prior to their infections.
After ruling out other possible explanations for the patients' complaints, the researchers ran a series of tests to identify whether the nerves were involved.
"We looked with every single major objective diagnostic test," Oaklander said. The vast majority had small fibre neuropathy, meaning damage to small nerve fibres that detect sensations and regulate involuntary bodily functions such as the cardiovascular system and breathing.
Findings consistent with earlier study
The findings are consistent with a July study by Dr. Rayaz Malik of Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar that found an association between nerve fibre damage in the cornea and a diagnosis of long COVID.
In the current study, 11 of the 17 patients were treated with either steroids or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a standard treatment for patients with small nerve fibre damage caused by an immune response. Some improved though none were cured.
While the results would only apply to long COVID patients with this type of nerve damage, it is possible that immunotherapy could be helpful, said Dr. Avindra Nath, an expert in neuroimmunology at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and a study co-author.
"To me, it suggests that we need to do a proper prospective study of these kinds of patients" testing the drugs in a randomized trial, Nath said.
My question is, what would these symptoms typically be misdiagnosed as?
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FDA Warns of Possible False Results From Some COVID-19 Tests
By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times
March 2, 2022
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday said that three rapid COVID-19 tests should not be used because of the potential for producing false results.
The FDA told people to stop using the Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test, the SD Biosensor Inc. STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test, and the Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Self-Testing).
“The FDA is concerned about the risk of false results when using” those tests, according to the agency. These tests have “not been authorized, cleared or approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States,” the agency added.
All three tests work via nasal swab, the agency said. It recommended that health care providers have patients submit to new testing if they’ve used any of the three tests fewer than two weeks ago.
Epoch Times Photo: The FDA said ACON Laboratories has recalled all of its Flowflex tests, SD Biosensor has recalled its tests, and Celltrion USA has recalled all of its DiaTrust tests.
“People should not use the Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test that is in green and white packaging,” the FDA said, including a photo of the test.
Epoch Times Photo
(FDA)
SD Biosensor’s “unauthorized test may be packaged in a white and magenta box,” the FDA said.
In February, the FDA issued warnings about the E25Bio COVID-19 Direct Antigen Rapid Test, the Empowered Diagnostics CovClear COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test, and ImmunoPass COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Rapid Test for similar reasons. Recalls were also initiated for the tests.
And the ACON Laboratories tests are packaged in a dark blue box, according to the agency.
Epoch Times Photo
(FDA)
The FDA said it has “not received reports of injuries, adverse health consequences, or death associated with use of” any of the three tests.
In a statement, ACON Laboratories stated that the unauthorized tests are an “adulterated and misbranded counterfeit product.”
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning people to stop using the Empowered Diagnostics CovClear COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test and ImmunoPass COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Rapid Test,” the health agency’s statement said at the time. “These tests were distributed with labeling indicating they are authorized by the FDA, but neither test has been authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States.”
It also comes as some poison control centers warned people not to improperly use at-home COVID-19 tests because they contain sodium azide, a potentially toxic substance. Some local poison control centers and hospitals have warned about an uptick in phone calls about exposures to the chemical.
Tests made by Flowflex and Celltrion contain the substance.
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