The FDA has issued a warning letter to Genesis II Church of Health and Healing that markets fraudulent and dangerous chlorine dioxide products for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The company makes a product called “Miracle Mineral Solution.” The FDA has warned consumers not to purchase or drink chlorine dioxide products that are sold as medical treatments online. There is no scientific evidence supporting this compound’s safety or effectiveness. These products also pose significant risks to patient health.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn said in a statement, “Despite previous warnings, the FDA is concerned that we are still seeing chlorine dioxide products being sold with misleading claims that they are safe and effective for the treatment of diseases, now including COVID-19. The sale of these products can jeopardize a person’s health and delay proper medical treatment. We continue to take action and keep up our efforts to monitor for fraudulent treatments during this public health emergency and remind the public to seek medical help from their health care providers.”
The warning letter was issued jointly with the Federal Trade Commission. The company markets the product to adults and children. Children are a vulnerable population that may be at greater risk for adverse reactions from consuming chlorine dioxide.
Chlorine dioxide products are not safe or effective for any use. They are typically sold as a remedy for treating autism, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and flu, among other conditions, despite their harmful effects.
The product is a liquid that is 28% sodium chlorite in distilled water. The consumer is told to mix the solution with citric acid, either lemon juice, lime juice, or hydrochloric acid before drinking it. When acid is added to sodium chlorite solutions, the mixture becomes chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleaching agent that has cause serious side effects.
The FDA has received adverse event reports from consumers. They report experiencing respiratory failure, changes in the electrical activity of the heart, life-threatening low blood pressure, acute liver failure, low blood cell counts that required a blood transfusion, severe vomiting, and severe diarrhea.
With the coronavirus pandemic, the FDA is warning consumers to be cautious of any products that claim to prevent, diagnose, or cure this viral illness. Products that claim to cure or treat disease but are not proven safe and effective defraud consumers and may delay proper diagnosis and treatment.
