Coronavirus: alert on the risks of poisoning linked to disinfection: Femme Actuelle Le MAG

Concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic are encouraging people to adopt hygiene measures. Good news, when you know that hand washing is the first barrier gesture against coronavirus.

Problem: many people advocate extreme disinfection. A reflex adopted by certain French cities, which disinfect the streets even though the effectiveness of this practice has not yet been scientifically proven.

Worse still, some veterinarians are alarmed by questions asked by animal owners, who wonder if they should disinfect their dog or cat with bleach or with an alcohol-based solution to fight against coronavirus.

Coronavirus: poisoning and domestic accidents

In a note published on April 2, ANSES reveals that poison control centers have reported numerous domestic accidents and poisonings linked to Covid-19. A phenomenon that prompted the drug agency to raise the alarm.

"Between March 1 and March 24, 2020, 337 calls related to exposure cases (with or without symptoms) or requests for information were identified as being associated with the Covid-19 context. Among the exposure cases (245 cases), 144 had symptoms and 101 did not ", can we read.

At the origin of these poisonings? Cleaning and disinfecting products, hydro-alcoholic solutions or even essential oils. ANSES delivers its recommendations for using these products safely.

Do not mix cleaning products

Inhalation of toxic vapor, accidental poisoning of children caused by the transfer of household products from one bottle to another … These situations identified by poison control centers can be avoided, by respecting the conditions of use of cleaning or disinfecting products and by keeping these out of the reach of children. ANSES reminds that these products should never be mixed with each other, nor used for personal hygiene or for cleaning food.

Beware of homemade hydro-alcoholic gels

The shortage of hydro-alcoholic gels has encouraged the production of homemade gels. A practice against which ANSES warns. "You must strictly observe the official manufacturing instructions and keep the products from this manufacturing out of the reach of children", can we read on his site.

Essential oils: ineffective against coronavirus

To strengthen your natural defenses or purify the air, many people use essential oils to protect themselves from Covid-19. However, this practice is ineffective: if certain essential oils do have anti-viral properties, nothing proves their effectiveness against Covid-19. ANSES thus recalls that "essential oils are not a means of combating the coronavirus". These products should not be used by people suffering from respiratory ailments, among which we find asthmatics, but also in pregnant or lactating women and most of the time in children under 6 years.

Read also :

⋙ Coronavirus: can strong alcohols be used as makeshift disinfectants?

⋙ Coronavirus: how is public transport disinfected?

⋙ Coronavirus: these places to disinfect absolutely to avoid contamination