A new report has been published by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stating that 15 people in the US – 13 men and 2 women – have been hospitalized after drinking hand sanitizer.
The CDC’s report found these cases occurring in Arizona and New Mexico during the months of May and June. All of them were aged between 21 and 65.
The common factor between the 15 was ingesting hand sanitizer containing methanol. This ingredient has been called “not acceptable” by the FDA for hand sanitizers.
Out of the fifteen people recorded, four died, three sustained visual impairments and six suffered seizures on admittance. Three of the six who experienced seizures died.
One 44-Year-Old Man Suffered Vision Loss
The report gives one example of a 44 year-old man who sought out a doctor after experiencing visual issues. In the report, it is written that the man had drank “an unknown quantity” of hand sanitizer “during the few days before seeking medical care.”
The levels of methanol in his blood stream were high. He was one of the six who experienced seizures. He recovered from methanol poisoning after six days in hospital.
Despite his recovery, he was left with “near-total vision loss.”
What Can The Report Do?
The CDC stated that the purpose of this report is to warn others against drinking hand sanitizer; to make the dangers clear.
Through their research many methanol based sanitizers are being recalled for the safety of the public. They are urging the public to check for methanol in their sanitizers. If they do own a product with methanol, it should be disposed in hazardous waste containers. Importantly, it should not be flushed down the toilet or poured down the sink.
In part, this was influenced by the suggestion of Donald Trump to inject disinfectant to treat coronavirus. After this remark in April, the CDC had to warn the public that household cleaning products “can cause health problems when not used properly.”
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