Four people died and others went blind after drinking toxic hand sanitizer, CDC says
In late June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention got a call from health officials in Arizona and New Mexico that some residents had swallowed alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
The events occurred shortly after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned the public about specific hand sanitizers containing methanol, a poisonous chemical for human consumption and an ingredient that does not belong in the products.
Between May and June, 15 people were admitted to the hospital after ingesting methanol-containing hand sanitizer. Four of them died, three were discharged with near or total vision loss, while six patients experienced seizures in the hospital.
The CDC released a report Wednesday on the incidents after reviewing 62 poison center call records.
All of the adults had a history of swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizer products. The CDC says those with alcohol-use disorder “might intentionally swallow these products as an alcohol substitute,” while children might do so unintentionally.
“In addition to social distancing and consistent use of face masks, hand hygiene is an integral component of the response to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States,” the CDC said. “This investigation highlights the serious adverse health events, including death, that can occur after ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitizer products containing methanol.”
Alcohol-based sanitizers come in liquid, foam or gel form and contain ethanol or isopropanol to kill germs. The CDC says it’s rare to become poisoned with those that include the unwelcome methanol component when using it on your skin, but cases have “been reported under unusual circumstances.”
Side effects can include nausea, headaches, abdominal pain, loss of coordination and seizures, but when left untreated, methanol poisoning can be fatal. Survivors might have permanent visual impairment, “including complete vision loss,” the CDC said.
Of the 15 reported cases, four of them remained hospitalized as of July 8, according to the agency. The average patient age was 44, and the majority were male.
“Persons should never ingest alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid use of specific imported products found to contain methanol, and continue to monitor FDA guidance,” the CDC said.
Another batch of hand sanitizer recalls came down Friday, all of which were among the recent additions that pushed the FDA’s Do Not Use hand sanitizer list past 100.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Four people died and others went blind after drinking toxic hand sanitizer, CDC says."
