Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 21) — The Food and Drug Administration has issued an advisory against the “misleading” claims of certain anti-virus and disinfectant products being marketed to reduce the risk of acquiring COVID-19.
In its Facebook post on Wednesday, the FDA warned against the use of products called “Virus Shut-out” and “SDS Blocker Anti-Virus,” noting that “deceptive marketing and promotion” of such disinfectants do not help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“These products shall not, in any way, cure and especially kill viruses and bacteria and any other disease, and should not bear any misleading, deceptive and false claims on their labels that will provide erroneous impression on the product’s character or identity,” it said in its advisory.
The FDA explained that such products, which are usually worn around the neck or put in a shirt pocket, may even bring potential health hazard due to exposure to ingredients such as chlorine dioxide or chlorite.
Exposure to these chemicals through inhalation and skin contact may cause irritation in the mouth, esophagus, or stomach, shortness of breath and other respiratory problems, the FDA added.
“Further, the FDA would like to emphasize that this time, there are no specific treatments for COVID-19,” it said.
Both products, which are being offered in online shopping portals and some Facebook accounts, are being sold for around ₱500 to ₱700 per piece.
A direct supplier on Facebook claims that the Virus Shut-out protects one from flu and airborne virus as it “penetrates into the bacteria structure, cleaning the air at the molecular level.”
Even photos of some government officials and celebrities donning such items have circulated online.
CNN previously reported that both eBay and Amazon are monitoring their sales platforms to find and remove products that make inaccurate claims about COVID-19. Amazon has blocked or removed more than 6.5 million products, according to a company spokesperson.
Over 10,000 units of the Virus Shut-Out product have been intercepted so far in US Pacific ports, the Ennvironmental Protection Agency said.
