Pseudo-science and Misinformation in the Use of Chlorine Dioxide for Covid

COVID 19 has wreck havoc around the world and North and South America topped the highest mortality rate. It brought fear in the hearts of the people and having the semblance of gloom and doom, and the preponderance of fake news, people resorted to alternative remedies, leading to Chlorine Dioxide being promoted as a backup treatment for Covid 19. despite the lack of substantiation to give credence to its efficacy. One country that uses Chlorine Dioxide and considers it as deus ex machina to all our Covid miseries is Peru.

Chlorine Dioxide is a highly reactive gas marketed even in Lazada.  It is available in liquid form and because of its oxidizing potential, it is often used as a disinfectant.  And with Covid, it can now be used for inhalation and it is also available in oral and parenteral routes.

But sorry to burst your bubble, but nobody has made a study on its efficacy, and it doesn't have the imprimatur seal for distribution or treatment against Covid.  Not even in Peru. While there is no proof for its potency, the danger of its toxicity has already been documented and validated.

Breathing Chlorine Dioxide can irritate the lungs causing coughing and shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath.

Chlorine dioxide has been historically used as a disinfecting agent for drinking water supplies and surfaces. Widespread use as an alternative option for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 has emerged due to a lack of specific treatment. We present the case of a 55-year-old male who developed acute kidney injury and disseminated intravascular coagulation after chlorine dioxide prophylactic ingestion, with regression after therapy with hemodialysis.

Therefore, it is suggested to continue educating the population to avoid the consumption of this type of substance and the implementation of policies to regulate the information propagated by the media, to mitigate false news and promote evidence-based recommendations.