A studio manager recently had a very slimy and unpleasant encounter with a slug they found in an NHS lateral flow test kit. Take a look at the horrifying discovery below:
Sophs Forte, 28, collected the kit from their local pharmacy this month to test themself for the Covid-19 - which is what many of us have been doing in the run-up to Christmas.
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But when they opened one of the vials used to hold the test liquid, they noticed a slippery black slug sitting at the bottom.
Sophs said: "I pulled one of the vials and immediately spotted something black - and I quickly realised what it was.
"I shouted to my family but nobody believed it until I showed them.
"It was just squashed in there - luckily it wasn't moving."
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They said their initial reaction was to yell: "What the f**k, there's a slug!"
They then hurled the vial, the entire box of test kits, and slug into the bin.
But after the initial shock and explosive reaction, Sophs was able to see the humour in the situation.
"As disgusting as it is, I found it quite funny," they said.
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"I have no idea how a slug would even have ended up in there - at what point in the production line would that happen?!"
Indeed it seems like the kind of incident that might only occur if the production company Flowflex were assembling the kits in its backyard.
Perhaps it received an extra-large order and had to expand operations outside the lab.
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Thankfully, Sophs admitted that they don't blame the NHS for the incident.
"They've worked hard enough and have a lot on," they said.
"I don't know what happened or how. But keep an eye on your Covid tests!"
Flowflex has been approached for comment to explain how the slug slid into Soph's kit.
According to Gardening Know How, slugs like to live in high-moisture environments.
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It's no surprise then that Soph's slug went searching for a little pot of liquid tucked away out of sight from predators.
One of their favourite spots to live is under containers and pots. This fella' must have forgotten to read the instructions.
Test kit prices surged last month after news of the new Omicron variant of the virus spreading across the world, according to The Express.
To confirm, free molluscs only come with certain packs. Terms and conditions apply.
Words by: Charlie Metcalfe