The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about several types of hand sanitizer made by the manufacturer Eskbiochem. The products may contain methanol, a form of alcohol that can be toxic when applied to the skin or ingested.
Methanol can cause skin irritation, and if ingested, cause headache, dizziness, blurred vision, kidney failure, coma and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No amount of methanol in hand sanitizer is safe.
The products are:
All-Clean Hand Sanitizer
Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol
Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer
The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol
Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer
The FDA is advising anyone who purchased the products to dispose of them in hazardous waste containers. The sanitizers should not be flushed or poured down the drain.
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC
Protests over the death of George Floyd and police brutality have caused Infectious disease experts to fear another wave of COVID-19 infections. But so far, Minneapolis, where the protests began, has not seen a dramatic uptick in cases related to the demonstrations, says the state’s Department of Health.
As of late last week, 4,487 tests conducted at four testing sites specifically for protesters resulted in 62 positive cases of COVID-19.
The official credited the low infection rate to “the fact that many or most protesters were wearing masks, the events were outside, people were often able to maintain a 6-foot distance, and any exposures were of relatively shorter duration, not several hours to the same people in the same place.”
During an interview on Monday, Trump said he’s considering a second round of stimulus payments as the U.S. economy continues to react to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We will be doing another stimulus package. It’ll be very good. It’ll be very generous,” Trump said.
Last month, the Democratic-led House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act that included another round of direct payments, but the Republican-controlled Senate rejected it, saying they want to wait to see how the recent reopening of states helps the economy.
Health officials in states including Florida, Arizona, Oregon and other Southern and Western states say the uptick in coronavirus cases can be traced back to when lockdowns were dramatically relaxed by state leaders, around Memorial Day.
They also warn that in the next two weeks, hospitals in many states could find themselves struggling to find enough beds for patients.
In the last 14 days, Oklahoma’s infections increased by 202 percent, Florida reported an increase of 155 percent, and Arizona’s confirmed cases surged by 142 percent, according to state health department figures.
The department store chain JCPenney, which filed for bankruptcy last month, announced that it is closing another 13 stores permanently. The retailer, already in financial trouble before the pandemic hit, aims to close a total of 250 stores by the end of the summer. Store-closing liquidation sales are expected to raise much-needed cash as the company struggles to stay in business.
Two more members of Trump’s advance team in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have tested positive for COVID-19, the campaign said Monday. This brings the total number to eight. The additional two members, who said they wore masks throughout the rally, were tested after the event as a precaution for flying home.
