In the corona pandemic, conspiracy myths are booming. The latest craze are small animals that are supposed to be on masks or test sticks and get into the body through them. Their name: Morgellons. Forensic biologist Mark Benecke clarifies what he thinks of the allegation.
Medical masks and rapid antigen tests are considered important weapons in the fight against the spread of the corona virus. Those who use them usually feel better protected against the invisible pathogens. But now a new myth is causing a stir: are masks and tests contaminated or even contaminated? An unusual term is currently experiencing a boom among conspiracy writers: Morgellons.
The claim that parasitic Morgellons get into the body via corona test sticks and breathing masks is wrong, as forensic biologist Mark Benecke explains. Those affected who complain of Morgellons feel itchy and tingling. It is said to be small creatures that nest under the skin. Physicians often dismiss the phenomenon as a delusion – as a variant of the so-called dermatozosis delusion. The patients imagine that their skin is infested with parasites. The misconception is promoted, for example, by cocaine and amphetamine abuse, but also by brain injuries and diseases of the central nervous system, according to the experts. Those who complain about Morgellons often provide the alleged evidence themselves. Squeezing and scratching causes formations on the skin of those affected that look like small creatures under the microscope. Sometimes they even move – seemingly under their own power.
This fallacy is easy to explain, says Benecke. In his laboratory, he has examined countless samples from people who claim to have found Morgellons under their skin. Under his microscope he usually only sees a mixture of textile fibers, small plant parts, dirt, dust and skin flakes – which have been rolled up by pressing and scratching. Benecke finds it understandable that an untrained eye can recognize a living being here: “The twisted fibers can sometimes look similar to tiny muscles, for example,” says Benecke.
Benecke can also explain the thesis that the worm-like structures sometimes appear to move on their own. This usually happens when you get close to the object being examined: “If you breathe on the fibers, they absorb the moisture and heat from the air you breathe and then move. Electrostatic forces of attraction can also cause this effect.” The same thing happens when you rub a balloon on your hair.
Despite the explanations, some people are currently putting FFP2 masks or corona test sticks under the microscope at home to find out whether they are infected. You have apparently seen videos and pictures on social media of users claiming to have discovered Morgellons. The following also applies to this claim: whoever seeks will find: In the clips, apparently crawling, worm-like structures can even be seen under the packaging film of FFP2 masks.
It is very likely that these are also textile fibers that have already found their way into the packaging during production, Benecke assumes. Masks like test sticks are not manufactured in a sterile environment. And even with the sterilization, a number of germs are killed, but of course no unwanted textile fibers are removed. What wriggles on the videos and pictures over masks and test sticks are almost certainly not parasitic Morgellons. Also no “nano-robots” that are to be secretly implanted in us, as is assumed in even more abstruse conspiracy myths.
Anyone who still believes they have found something unusual on their mask or test stick can have a sample examined in the laboratory. Simply secure the supposed creature on a transparent film with transparent adhesive tape, circle the place of discovery and send it by post. You should perhaps hold off on your thesis until it has been confirmed by the laboratory – at least if you don’t want to spread false information and fear and terror.
Incidentally, the term Morgellons or Morgellons is not new. It apparently goes back to the British doctor Sir Thomas Browne. He first mentioned it in the 17th century.