BY MITCHELL WILLETTS
FEBRUARY 22, 2022 1:34 PM
While at-home COVID-19 tests are considered safe and effective when used properly, a chemical found in some popular kits is leading to an increase in calls to poison control centers. Sodium azide is potentially deadly in large amounts, but only small quantities are present in testing kits — enough to cause low blood pressure, heart palpitations, headache and dizziness if ingested, or burning and irritation to exposed skin, experts say. “Sodium azide is a very potent poison, and ingestion of relatively low doses can cause significant toxicity. Fortunately, the amount of sodium azide in most rapid antigen kits is much lower than the amount expected to cause poisoning if swallowed by an adult,” according to the National Capital Poison Center.
Sodium azide is inside the small containers of liquid included in test kits, which are used to trigger the chemical reaction that indicates whether a test sample is positive or negative for coronavirus. “Poison centers are receiving calls, and many of these calls come from people (mainly small children) ingesting the liquid, also known as the reagent, in the COVID at-home test kits,” the Texas Poison Center Network said in a release.
The chemicals vary among kits and companies, but sodium azide is “the most common chemical,” the center said. A small amount of the chemical — a concentration of 0.0125% — is used in the BinaxNOW kit, for example, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Ingestion isn’t the only way people have been exposed to the chemical. In at least one case, a couple dipped their nasal swabs in the reagent liquid and then swabbed their nostrils, causing “irritation of the nose,” according to the National Capital Poison Center. People have also been confusing the bottles of reagent for eye droppers, with painful consequences, according to news outlets and medical experts.
“We just want to remind families that the liquid bottles can look like other common household products like glue or even eye drops,” Michele Caliva, of the Poison Center at Upstate Medical University in New York, said in a statement. “We want to help families avoid any potential poisonings.” Testing kits should be kept in a secure location, out of reach of children, experts say, and users should dispose of them the moment they are finished with the test. If sodium azide gets in your eyes, clear the chemical out with warm water for at least 30 seconds, then call poison control at 1-800-222-1222. The same advice applies to skin exposure. If swallowed, “do not make the person vomit,” the National Capital Poison Center advises, but do contact poison control.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article258646048.html#storylink=cpy
FEBRUARY 22, 2022 1:34 PM
While at-home COVID-19 tests are considered safe and effective when used properly, a chemical found in some popular kits is leading to an increase in calls to poison control centers. Sodium azide is potentially deadly in large amounts, but only small quantities are present in testing kits — enough to cause low blood pressure, heart palpitations, headache and dizziness if ingested, or burning and irritation to exposed skin, experts say. “Sodium azide is a very potent poison, and ingestion of relatively low doses can cause significant toxicity. Fortunately, the amount of sodium azide in most rapid antigen kits is much lower than the amount expected to cause poisoning if swallowed by an adult,” according to the National Capital Poison Center.
Sodium azide is inside the small containers of liquid included in test kits, which are used to trigger the chemical reaction that indicates whether a test sample is positive or negative for coronavirus. “Poison centers are receiving calls, and many of these calls come from people (mainly small children) ingesting the liquid, also known as the reagent, in the COVID at-home test kits,” the Texas Poison Center Network said in a release.
The chemicals vary among kits and companies, but sodium azide is “the most common chemical,” the center said. A small amount of the chemical — a concentration of 0.0125% — is used in the BinaxNOW kit, for example, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Ingestion isn’t the only way people have been exposed to the chemical. In at least one case, a couple dipped their nasal swabs in the reagent liquid and then swabbed their nostrils, causing “irritation of the nose,” according to the National Capital Poison Center. People have also been confusing the bottles of reagent for eye droppers, with painful consequences, according to news outlets and medical experts.
“We just want to remind families that the liquid bottles can look like other common household products like glue or even eye drops,” Michele Caliva, of the Poison Center at Upstate Medical University in New York, said in a statement. “We want to help families avoid any potential poisonings.” Testing kits should be kept in a secure location, out of reach of children, experts say, and users should dispose of them the moment they are finished with the test. If sodium azide gets in your eyes, clear the chemical out with warm water for at least 30 seconds, then call poison control at 1-800-222-1222. The same advice applies to skin exposure. If swallowed, “do not make the person vomit,” the National Capital Poison Center advises, but do contact poison control.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article258646048.html#storylink=cpy
