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Article

Event-Based Surveillance of Poisonings and Potentially Hazardous Exposures over 12 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

1
Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Didcot OX11 0RQ, UK
2
Global Health Security, Public Health England, London SE1 8UG, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11133; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111133
Submission received: 21 September 2021 / Revised: 20 October 2021 / Accepted: 21 October 2021 / Published: 22 October 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Exposures and Public Health Interventions)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen people and governments utilise an array of chemical and pharmaceutical substances in an attempt to prevent and treat COVID-19 infections. The Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) at Public Health England (PHE) routinely undertakes Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) to monitor public health threats and incidents related to chemicals and poisons. From April 2020, EBS functions were expanded to screen international media for potentially hazardous exposures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Media sources reported that poisons centres were experiencing increased enquiries associated with the use and misuse of household cleaners and alcohol-based hand sanitiser (HS). There were also media reports of people self-medicating with over-the-counter supplements and traditional or herbal remedies. Public figures who directly or indirectly facilitated misinformation were sometimes reported to be associated with changes in poisoning trends. Border closures were also believed to have been associated with increasingly toxic illicit drug supplies in Canada, and record numbers of opioid-related deaths were reported. In other countries, where the sale of alcohol was banned or limited, home-brewing and methanol-based supplies resulted in a number of fatalities. At least two chemical incidents also occurred at industrial sites in India, after sites were left unattended or were closed and reopened due to lockdown measures. Reports of poisoning identified in the international media were provided to the UK National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) and contributed to the UK COVID-19 public health response.
Keywords: toxicovigilance; poisoning; COVID-19; misinformation; hand sanitiser; methanol; hydroxychloroquine; ivermectin; chlorine dioxide toxicovigilance; poisoning; COVID-19; misinformation; hand sanitiser; methanol; hydroxychloroquine; ivermectin; chlorine dioxide

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Cook, M.A.; Brooke, N. Event-Based Surveillance of Poisonings and Potentially Hazardous Exposures over 12 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 11133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111133

AMA Style

Cook MA, Brooke N. Event-Based Surveillance of Poisonings and Potentially Hazardous Exposures over 12 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(21):11133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111133

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cook, Meghan A., and Nicholas Brooke. 2021. "Event-Based Surveillance of Poisonings and Potentially Hazardous Exposures over 12 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 21: 11133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111133

APA Style

Cook, M. A., & Brooke, N. (2021). Event-Based Surveillance of Poisonings and Potentially Hazardous Exposures over 12 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111133

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