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As Coronavirus Spreads, Poison Hotlines See Rise in Accidents With Cleaning Products As Coronavirus Spreads, Poison Hotlines See Rise in Accidents With Cleaning Products
(about 1 month later)
As awareness of the coronavirus pandemic has spread throughout the United States, doctors who monitor activity at poison call centers have noticed an alarming trend: a significant increase in accidental exposures to household cleaners and disinfectants.As awareness of the coronavirus pandemic has spread throughout the United States, doctors who monitor activity at poison call centers have noticed an alarming trend: a significant increase in accidental exposures to household cleaners and disinfectants.
A study released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that calls to poison hotlines this year for cases involving cleaners and disinfectants rose significantly compared with the same period over the previous two years, and charts a dramatic spike in March for both categories.A study released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that calls to poison hotlines this year for cases involving cleaners and disinfectants rose significantly compared with the same period over the previous two years, and charts a dramatic spike in March for both categories.
Some of the physicians who collaborated on the research with the C.D.C. had discussed their observations with one another last month.Some of the physicians who collaborated on the research with the C.D.C. had discussed their observations with one another last month.
“I was like: ‘Am I the only one seeing a big increase in exposures to these disinfectants?’” said Dr. Diane P. Calello, the medical director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and one of the authors of the report.“I was like: ‘Am I the only one seeing a big increase in exposures to these disinfectants?’” said Dr. Diane P. Calello, the medical director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and one of the authors of the report.
Others saw the same trend, and wondered if the accidental poisonings were an insidious, secondary result of the coronavirus’s spread. The group initiated the study to determine if there was a possible link between the rise in exposures and the recommendations from public health agencies to clean and disinfect as much as possible.Others saw the same trend, and wondered if the accidental poisonings were an insidious, secondary result of the coronavirus’s spread. The group initiated the study to determine if there was a possible link between the rise in exposures and the recommendations from public health agencies to clean and disinfect as much as possible.
From January through March, poison centers received 45,550 exposure calls related to cleaners (28,158) and disinfectants (17,392), the report said, representing overall increases of 20.4 percent compared with the same period in 2019 and 16.4 percent more than 2018.From January through March, poison centers received 45,550 exposure calls related to cleaners (28,158) and disinfectants (17,392), the report said, representing overall increases of 20.4 percent compared with the same period in 2019 and 16.4 percent more than 2018.
The authors warned that the actual number of exposures was likely even higher because the data only came from reported calls for help, and some people who were exposed probably did not report their cases to the hotlines.The authors warned that the actual number of exposures was likely even higher because the data only came from reported calls for help, and some people who were exposed probably did not report their cases to the hotlines.
The call centers also did not record information about the reasons for an exposure — whether, for instance, it was because of a direct concern over the coronavirus. But the authors indicated that a connection was likely because the timing corresponded to the increase in media coverage of the coronavirus, as well as stay-at-home orders and other instructions from public health officials.The call centers also did not record information about the reasons for an exposure — whether, for instance, it was because of a direct concern over the coronavirus. But the authors indicated that a connection was likely because the timing corresponded to the increase in media coverage of the coronavirus, as well as stay-at-home orders and other instructions from public health officials.
“There appears to be a clear temporal association with increased use of these products,” the authors wrote.“There appears to be a clear temporal association with increased use of these products,” the authors wrote.
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Among the concerns in the report were the access that children have to dangerous products that are now in many more homes, and mixing substances that accidentally create dangerous chemical compounds and gasses.Among the concerns in the report were the access that children have to dangerous products that are now in many more homes, and mixing substances that accidentally create dangerous chemical compounds and gasses.
Dr. Calello said she works regular shifts at the New Jersey poison hotline, and she recently took a call from someone who had mistakenly wiped her face and hands with a powerful disinfectant. Dr. Calello also said she heard several calls from parents whose small children had ingested hand sanitizer.Dr. Calello said she works regular shifts at the New Jersey poison hotline, and she recently took a call from someone who had mistakenly wiped her face and hands with a powerful disinfectant. Dr. Calello also said she heard several calls from parents whose small children had ingested hand sanitizer.
The C.D.C. report included two anonymous cases. In one, family members found an unresponsive preschool-age child who had ingested an unknown amount of a 64-ounce bottle of ethanol-based hand sanitizer. The bottle was found open on the kitchen table.The C.D.C. report included two anonymous cases. In one, family members found an unresponsive preschool-age child who had ingested an unknown amount of a 64-ounce bottle of ethanol-based hand sanitizer. The bottle was found open on the kitchen table.
The child was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit overnight. She was discharged and sent home after 48 hours, the report said.The child was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit overnight. She was discharged and sent home after 48 hours, the report said.
In another case, an adult woman, who had heard about the importance of cleaning market produce, mixed bleach and vinegar in hot water in her kitchen sink to wash the food. The mixture of bleach and vinegar created chlorine gas, which the woman inhaled.In another case, an adult woman, who had heard about the importance of cleaning market produce, mixed bleach and vinegar in hot water in her kitchen sink to wash the food. The mixture of bleach and vinegar created chlorine gas, which the woman inhaled.
Updated June 1, 2020
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.
She was able to call 911, and recovered after being rushed to a hospital. But in more severe cases, chlorine gas, combined with moisture in the lungs, can create hydrochloric acid, which can cause severe lung damage.She was able to call 911, and recovered after being rushed to a hospital. But in more severe cases, chlorine gas, combined with moisture in the lungs, can create hydrochloric acid, which can cause severe lung damage.
“People are home and they are frightened and they want to get their home and their food as clean as possible,” Dr. Calello said. “Common sense can take a back seat.”“People are home and they are frightened and they want to get their home and their food as clean as possible,” Dr. Calello said. “Common sense can take a back seat.”
Dr. David Gummin, the medical director of the Wisconsin Poison Center, who was not involved in the study, said he and his colleagues have also noticed a significant uptick in calls. Similarly, they have received reports that some people have been improvising with things like ethanol and alcoholic beverages in order to navigate around shortages of hand sanitizers.Dr. David Gummin, the medical director of the Wisconsin Poison Center, who was not involved in the study, said he and his colleagues have also noticed a significant uptick in calls. Similarly, they have received reports that some people have been improvising with things like ethanol and alcoholic beverages in order to navigate around shortages of hand sanitizers.
“Products are generally fairly safe if used appropriately,” Dr. Gummin said. “But now with every American trying to stay Covid-free, people are not only utilizing cleaners and hand sanitizers at record rates, but also trying to identify alternate mechanisms to keep things sanitized. The important thing is to keep them locked up and out of the reach of children.”“Products are generally fairly safe if used appropriately,” Dr. Gummin said. “But now with every American trying to stay Covid-free, people are not only utilizing cleaners and hand sanitizers at record rates, but also trying to identify alternate mechanisms to keep things sanitized. The important thing is to keep them locked up and out of the reach of children.”
Dr. Calello said cleanliness is vital in fighting the disease, but some people have been “overzealous” about disinfecting.Dr. Calello said cleanliness is vital in fighting the disease, but some people have been “overzealous” about disinfecting.
“Educating people about what is safe is the key,” she said, “but I have a hunch the numbers will go up in April.”“Educating people about what is safe is the key,” she said, “but I have a hunch the numbers will go up in April.”