(HealthDay)—A
warning letter has been sent to a company marketing bogus and dangerous chlorine
dioxide products for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19,
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
The
fraudulent claims by the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing about its
"Miracle Mineral Solution" products are especially concerning in
relation to children, who are at increased risk for harm from consuming
chlorine dioxide, according to the FDA.
The
joint warning letter from the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission gave the
company 48 hours to outline what it's done to correct the violations.
The
FDA has previously warned consumers against buying or drinking chlorine dioxide
products sold online as medical treatments. Chlorine dioxide is a powerful
bleaching agent with serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.
"Despite
previous warnings, the FDA is concerned that we are still seeing chlorine
dioxide products being sold with misleading claims that they are safe and
effective for the treatment of diseases, now including COVID-19.
The sale of these products can jeopardize a person's health and delay proper
medical treatment," said FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn.
"We
continue to take action and keep up our efforts to monitor for fraudulent
treatments during this public
health emergency and remind the public to seek medical help from their
health care providers," he added in an agency news release.
Chlorine
dioxide products have not been shown to be safe or effective for any
use—including COVID-19.
But FDA said they continue to be sold as a remedy for treating autism, cancer,
HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and flu, among other conditions.
FDA
has received reports of people suffering serious problems after drinking
chlorine dioxide products.
Those problems include respiratory failure;
changes in the heart's electrical activity that can cause deadly abnormal
rhythms; life-threatening low blood
pressure caused by dehydration; acute liver failure; low blood cell counts that
require blood
transfusion; as well as severe vomiting and diarrhea
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