“A video of how young kids of a family packing swab test sticks is doing social media rounds. This has led to many people questioning if these swab test sticks, mainly used for COVID-19 RT-PCR tests, are sterile enough to be used. The plastic sticks having cotton buds on both ends are being packed in slums of Ulhasnagar. A report by The Indian Express noted that more than a dozen households have been working in packaging of these sticks. These RT-PCR nasopharyngeal kits are being picked from a local supplier, Maneesh Keswani for one week now. Many people across the Ulhasnagar slum have received boxes of these swan test sticks to be packed. At a time when there is no work, people living in the slum are managing to pack it with their own hands. Ever since lockdown and other curbs being imposed, people have lost their jobs. This gives them something to do when they are at home along with some money, with which they are able to afford vegetables to eat.
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