Almost 40% of Americans said they tried washing fruits and vegetables with bleach and other high-risk cleaning practices in their attempts to prevent coronavirus transmission, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday.
The CDC survey found that 19% of survey participants reported washing foods like fruits and vegetables in bleach, 18% reported putting household cleaners and disinfectants on their hands and skin, and 10% reported misting their body with a cleaning or disinfectant spray.
Meanwhile, 6% said they inhaled vapors from household cleaners and disinfectants, while 4% admitted to drinking or gargling diluted bleach solutions, soapy water and other cleaning solutions.
“These practices pose a risk of severe tissue damage and corrosive injury and should be strictly avoided,” the CDC said in its report.
Prior to the CDC survey, conducted in May, President Trump suggested the coronavirus might be treated by injecting disinfectant into the body, prompting criticism from the medical community.
A quarter of respondents said they experienced at least one adverse health effect such as skin and eye irritation or headaches during the last month, which they attributed to the use of cleaners or disinfectants. Participants who reported engaging in a risky practice reported an adverse health effect more frequently than those who did not (39% compared to 16%).
“Although adverse health effects reported by respondents could not be attributed to their engaging in high-risk practices, the association between these high-risk practices and reported
adverse health effects indicates a need for public messaging regarding safe and effective cleaning and disinfection practices aimed at preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in households,” the CDC said.
The public health agency also noted large gaps in people’s knowledge about safe preparation of cleaning and disinfectant solutions and about storing hand sanitizers out of the reach of children.
Mixing bleach with vinegar or ammonia, in addition to applying heat, can produce chlorine and chloramine gases that could lead to severe lung tissue damage when inhaled, the CDC said. Only 35% of survey respondents said bleach should not be mixed with vinegar and 58% replied that bleach should not be combined with ammonia.
The CDC in April reported that poison control centers received more chemical exposure calls from January to March than during the same period the last two years, The agency found that exposure calls related to cleaners increased by 20% and calls about disinfectants rose 16%.
The agency recommends frequent hand washing as well as cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.
The CDC says people should read and follow label instructions, use water at room temperature for dilution (unless otherwise noted), wear skin protection and consider wearing eye protection, avoid mixing chemical products, ensure adequate ventilation and keep chemicals and hand sanitizers out of the reach of children and pets.
The survey included 502 U.S. adults from all regions.
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