WASHINGTON (April 24, 2020) – The Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC) reminds Americans that ingesting disinfectants is dangerous and could cause significant adverse health effects. Many household and industrial disinfectant products are poisonous when ingested.
CBC has published a list of more than 900 ready-to-use, dilutable, and wipeable biocidal products that are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective at killing viruses like COVID-19 on hard surfaces; these products should not be used in the human body by injection, ingestion or any other route. It is critical that the instructions for use on the product label be followed.
As stated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “When using an EPA-registered disinfectant, follow the label directions for safe, effective use. Make sure to follow the contact time, which is the amount of time the surface should be visibly wet. These products are for use on surfaces, NOT humans.”
The CBC also recommends reviewing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s resource center for tips on cleaning and disinfecting.
Antimicrobial products on the CBC Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)-Fighting Products List have been tested to stop the spread of pathogens from hard surfaces and have received EPA’s approval that the products are not expected to cause unreasonable adverse effects when used in accordance with the product label. The public and public health officials should feel confident that the products included on CBC’s list are available to help protect people from the spread of the novel coronavirus if used according to their labels.