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COVID-19
Fraudulent Products 
Over the past few weeks, as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to grow, so haves the responses to try to contain this virus. As a result, many companies have wasted no time figuring out how to exploit the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. On March 9th, 2020, the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) warned consumers about fraudulent "treatment" and "prevention" products. There are currently no vaccines or drugs approved to treat or prevent COVID-19. Click here to view FDA news release. 

Additionally, there is a lot of erroneous information circulating on the internet that drinking bleach will prevent COVID-19 infections. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using diluted bleach solutions to clean frequently-touched surfaces, drinking bleach has never been recommended by any healthcare professional or agency.  
Case #1 
A parent recently called the Poison Center about a recipe they found on making your own hand sanitizer. The Specialist in Poison Information  (SPI) went over the ingredient list with them. The recipe called for a mixture of essential oils that  claim to have antibacterial properties. The SPI told the caller not to use this recipe as mixing these oils may cause an unwanted reaction and was able to refer caller to a local resource that had hand sanitizer in stock.


Case #2
A specialist received a call about
a child who thought a silica gel packet was a sugar packet. The child had mixed this into their cereal and ate a spoonful. The Parent was told to throw the cereal away and rinse the child's mouth with warm water. 

April 2020 Newsletter

 
As millions of children are home from school due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), parents are suddenly faced with the challenge of finding alternative daycare options or finding ways to keep children occupied at home. This is creating many challenges for both parents and new caregivers. Keeping kids busy during the day is easier for older children than for younger children under the age of 5, but that doesn't mean teenagers aren't also at risk. Since most unintentional poisonings occur in the home, now is the time for parents to ensure that this new environment is safe. The best way to protect your children from poisons is to do a walk-through of your home and find where you keep all potential poisons.


Poisons in the Kitchen:  
  • Keep all household cleaners stored up and away of children and/or stored in a locked cabinet with a safety latch.
  • Examples of household cleaners include: 
    • All-purpose cleaners
    • Bleach
    • Dishwashing detergent (liquid, powdered, or single-use packets or tablets)
    • Drain openers and toilet bowl cleaners
    • Furniture polish
    • Laundry detergent (liquid, powdered, or single-use packets or tablets) 
  • Spring cleaning has taken on a new urgency this year as people are intensely washing, dusting, and disinfecting homes and offices. 
  • Don't mix cleaning products together to create a stronger effect. Certain combinations could create harmful reactions. 
  • Leave products in their original, labeled containers. Do not transfer  cleaning products into a food or beverage container (such as an empty water bottle); someone may swallow it by mistake.
 Poisons in the bathroom: 
  • Store all medications out of reached and in a locked cabinet. 
  • Personal hygiene products such as hand sanitizers, nail polish removers, perfume, mouthwash and aftershave may contain alcohol which can be harmful if ingested.
  • Toothpaste usually contains fluoride and swallowing it can cause upset stomach and other gastrointestinal conditions.  In larger amounts, fluoride can lead to more serious conditions.
Poisons in other rooms: 
  • Many houseplants may be harmful. Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for a list of potentially poisonous plants. You may want to do without houseplants for a while or, at the very least, keep all houseplants out of reach of children. 
  • Make sure battery covers are secure on remote controls, key fobs, musical books, and greeting cards. Store devices that contain small button-cell batteries out of reach and sight of children. Button batteries can cause severe injury or death if ingested.
  • In children, alcohol containing beverages can cause low blood sugar, which can lead to seizures and coma.
  • Nicotine in cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and nicotine gum & patches can cause severe heart and central nervous system problems. Additionally, liquid nicotine solutions used in e-cigarettes can be particularly poisonous if a child ingests it or if it comes in contact with the skin. 
Teach your kids Poison Safety from Home!  
  • Click here  download our FREE Poison Prevention Teaching Program
  • Click here to check out some Poison Prevention games your kids can play online
  • Click here to order or download our FREE Poison Prevention Activity book
  • Visit www.poisoncontrol.org for more educational resources 
 

Help is available online, with the 
webPOISONCONTROL
 tool, or by phone at 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free, expert and confidential.  
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