(WFLA/WBTW) – Some Americans are putting their health at risk while trying to protect it.
About a third of Americans surveyed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have used some kind of risky cleaning practice to stop the spread of COVID-19, the CDC said on Friday.
The new research, published Friday in the CDC’s weekly health report, was based on an online panel survey of 502 adults in May of this year.
39 percent reported intentionally engaging in at least one high-risk practice not recommended by CDC for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, including 19 percent saying they apply bleach to food items (e.g., fruits and vegetables); 18 percent use of household cleaning and disinfectant products on hands or skin, 10 percent misting the body with a cleaning or disinfectant spray and 4 percent drinking or gargling diluted bleach solutions, soapy water, and other cleaning and disinfectant solutions. None of these cleaning behaviors are recommended by the CDC.
People also said they were cleaning more frequently because of the pandemic, but only about half said that they really knew how to clean and disinfect their home safely.
The CDC recommends that people always read the instructions on cleaning products. When cleaning, wear gloves or other protective gear and to not mix cleaning chemicals.
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