Coronavirus causes massive worldwide spike in number of kids poisoning themselves by eating hand sanitiser
THERE’S been a huge spike in kids needing treatment for poisoning after eating hand sanitiser during the coronavirus pandemic.
In the US, there’s been an 80 per cent rise in calls to poison centres about this toxic product - prompting health officials to urge manufacturers to make the alcohol-based cleanser less “palatable”.
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It added that calls to the US National Poison Data System last month about consumption of hand sanitiser "increased by 79 per cent compared to March 2019.
Plus, some versions smell attractive to youngsters.
The organisation said while "hand sanitiser is an important tool in stopping the spread of Covid-19, there has been a spike in the number of calls due to hand sanitiser exposure incidents, mostly by babies and young children ingesting it at home".
With parents struggling to buy hand sanitiser, some have resorted to making their own versions or buying alternative products.
Though a tiny amount of hand sanitiser that may have been licked from your hands is unlikely to make you become ill, ingesting more than a taste could put you at risk of alcohol poisoning.
Hand sanitisers will either be alcohol-based (ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol) or non-alcohol based (benzalkonium chloride).
Isopropyl alcohol is commonly known as rubbing alcohol.
The concern for poisoning relates to the ethyl alcohol, also called ethanol.
It is the same alcohol found in beer, wine and other liquors, as well as perfumes, after shave lotions and mouthwash but at a much higher concentration.
The concentration of alcohol in hand sanitisers varies from 45% to 95% with the most commonly used in the range of 60-70%.
France
France’s for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety said that poison control centres have "reported numerous domestic accidents and poisoning related to Covid-19".
It's urged parents to “keep hydro-alcoholic (hand sanitiser) solutions out of the reach of children”.
Between March 1 and March 24 this year, 337 calls to centres were "related to exposure cases or requests for information associated with Covid-19.
"Several origins of risk situations have been identified by poison control centres: cleaners/disinfectants, hand sanitisers, essential oils and anti-inflammatories."
The toddler became dizzy after ingesting an unknown amount, fell and hit her head, according to her family.
She then vomited while being transported to hospital, where she was barey responsive.
Her blood alcohol level was elevated at 273 mg/dL (most state laws define a limit of 80 mg/dL for driving under the influence).
But a brain scan didn't show any traumatic injuries.
The girl was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit overnight.
After her "mental status improved", the toddler was discharged home after 48 hours.
Italy
Italy, which became Europe's original coronavirus epicentre, with more than 27,000 people dying and 200,000 infections, has had a massive jump in poisonings.
said that an alert was issued by the poison control centre of Milan’s Niguarda hospital, which specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of acute poisoning.
It reported that, in the month until March 26, "disinfectant intoxications have increased by 65 per cent, reaching peaks of 135 per cent in the under-five age group".
Dr Marcello Ferruzzi attributed the rise to the increased presence of disinfectants in homes, "both for cleansing the hands and for cleaning surfaces”.
Tips to prevent harmful exposure to hand sanitiser
Hand sanitiser seems to be everywhere as families try to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
However, this has led to a rise in accidental ingestions by kids who have consumed the germ-killing liquid, which can be lethal.
That’s because the active ingredient in hand sanitisers is ethyl alcohol, and even a small amount of alcohol can cause alcohol poisoning or death in children.
The amount of alcohol in hand sanitiser ranges from 40 to 95%.
By comparison, beer contains five to ten per cent alcohol, and wine contains 10 to 15% alcohol.
To stop kids from being accidentally poisoned:
- Store your hand sanitiser with medicines and household products, away and out of sight in a cabinet where a child cannot reach them
- After using this cleanser, do not leave it out - put it away and out of sight
- Make sure your child only uses hand sanitiser under adult supervision
- Apply a dime-sized amount to dry hands and rub hands together until completely dry
- Tell kids to keep hands away from their faces, especially their mouths
- The best way to clean hands is hand-washing with soap and water
- This method removes most germs from the hands
- Hand sanitisers should only be used when hand-washing is not an option, such as when you don’t have access to water or soap
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