KXLY
April 2, 2021 4:30 PM
By The Associated Press
Posted:
Updated:
Matt Slocum
FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 file photo, a registered nurse swabs a patient during testing for COVID-19 in Mifflin Square Park in south Philadelphia. On Friday, April 2, 2021, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting COVID-19 tests cause cancer because they are sterilized with ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide is a gas commonly used to sterilize medical equipment. It is also used in the sterilization of spices and cosmetics. While it is listed by federal agencies as a carcinogen with long-term exposure, experts say the gas is used only in small amounts to sterilize COVID testing kits and would not present cancer hazard. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)