Bolivia okays toxic bleach as COVID-19 treatment

Law makers in Bolivia have approved a toxic bleach which has falsely been branded around as a miracle cure as a coronavirus treatment.

According to local media reports, the Latin American country’s Legislative Assembly gave chlorine dioxide the green light despite reports of people being hospitalised and injured after taking it.

The approved bill allows the “production, commercialisation and supply of chlorine dioxide solution to prevent COVID-19 and as a treatment for sick patients”.

Chlorine dioxide is usually used as a disinfectant or to whiten paper products but in recent years it has been hailed as a miracle cure which is able to treat most illness and health conditions by conspiracy theorists and alternative medicine advocates.

Calling it “Miracle Mineral Solution” or MMS the belief is claimed to be gaining influence in Latin America where countries are struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

There have been cases across Bolivia of people being hospitalised after taking chlorine dioxide, Business Insider reports.

Bolivia’s own ministry of health has warned people not to take it and will prosecute anyone producing and selling it.

In June medical regulators in the country released a statement warning that chlorine dioxide “puts the health of the population that consumes or intends to do so at serious risk”.