Desperate Bolivians seek out toxic bleach falsely touted as Covid-19 cure
Associated Press in Cochabamba
Fri 17 Jul 2020 14.39 EDT
Long lines form every morning in one of the Bolivian cities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic as desperate people wait to buy small bottles of chlorine dioxide, a toxic bleaching agent that has been falsely touted as a cure for Covid-19 and myriad other diseases.
The rush in the city of Cochabamba to buy a disinfectant known to cause harm to those who ingest it comes even after the Bolivian health ministry warned of its dangers and said at least five people had been poisoned after taking chlorine dioxide in La Paz, the capital.
“The health ministry cannot risk recommending something that doesn’t have a scientific basis,” said Miguel Ángel Delgado, a senior ministry official.
However, Bolivia’s opposition-controlled Congress is promoting the use of chlorine dioxide. Last week, the Senate approved a bill authorizing the emergency “manufacture, marketing, supply and use of chlorine dioxide solution for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus”.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/17/bolivia-coronavirus-toxic-bleach-chlorine-dioxide
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