Consumers

buying health products with unsubstantiated claims that are too good to be true,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Wearing this sterilization card may only give you a false sense of security against COVID19,” he claimed.

“To protect yourself and others around you, wash your hands often with soap and water, wear a face mask, practise physical distancing, clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces regularly, stay home if you feel unwell, and get medical attention if you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing,” he pointed out.

Last May 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through Advisory No. 2020-852 warned against the promotion and marketing of “Virus Shut Out” and other disinfectant and biocide products that claim to cure or kill viruses and bacteria.

Prior to this, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 2020 announced that it has prevented several shipments of unregistered “Virus Shut Out,” which it noted that the product's “safety and efficacy against viruses have not been evaluated.”

Vietnamese and Thai government authorities have likewise taken action against the sale of "Virus Shut Out," confiscating the unregistered "virus protector" from dealers.

According to the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), “chlorine dioxide is a very reactive compound,” warning that “if you were to breathe air containing chlorine dioxide gas, you might experience irritation in your nose, throat, and lungs.”

“Most people will not be exposed to chlorine dioxide or chlorite in amounts large enough to damage other parts of the body, but if you were, you might experience shortness of breath and other respiratory problems because of damage to the substances in blood that carry oxygen throughout the body,” the ATSDR said. (EcoWaste Coalition Philippines)