A reader wrote: I have repeated the experiment shown on Twitter, and the NHS swabs do shed nylon bristles when rubbed against a piece of raw bacon. Repeated swabbing of asymptomatic people (especially children) must cause damage to the mucosa, which is the first line of defence against respiratory viruses. Is this a problem they are aware of? Is it deliberate?

LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SWAB TEST

The test might be, for whatever technical reason, the best that a lab might desire, but I WANT IT TO LEAVE NO TRACE IN MY BODY. Is that too much to ask? pic.twitter.com/zoMdnufIUm

— Wake Up From COVID (@wakeupfromcovid) April 9, 2021