1

Here are some things you should do—and

some things you should NOT do— to help

your family prevent poisoning while

fighting COVID-19.

Do use hand sanitizer with at least

60% alcohol if soap and water are not

available.

Do supervise young children when

using hand sanitizer so they do not

swallow it.

Do read the labels on your cleaning

products. Use them only as directed.

Wear gloves or eye protection if the

label recommends it.

People are

spending more

time at home

during the

COVID-19

pandemic.

Families may be

keeping larger-than-usual amounts of

cleaning products, hand sanitizer,

medicines, and other products in the

house.

It is important to use these products to

help control the spread of germs such as

the COVID-19 virus. But calls to the poison

center about exposures to hand sanitizer

and cleaning products are on the rise.

These products can make you sick when

used in the wrong way.

Featured this issue

• Poisoning Prevention and COVID-19

• Mushrooms: Myth vs. Fact.

News & Notes from The Blue Ridge Poison Center August 2020 www.brpc.virginia.edu

Poisoning Prevention and COVID-19: Do’s and Don’ts.

BRPC Staff:

Director

Christopher Holstege, MD

Nursing Director

Beth Mehring, MSN

Medical Toxicologists

Andy Baer, MD

Heather Borek, MD

Nathan Charlton, MD

Justin Rizer, MD

Medical Toxicology Fellows

Aaron Frey, DO

Avery Michienzi, DO

Jennifer Ross, MD, MPH

Epidemiologist

Saumitra V. Rege, PhD

Poison Specialists

Andre Berkin, BSN, CSPI

Michael Brookshire, BSN, RN

Jenni Goodwin, BSN, CSPI

Jennifer Horn, BSN, CSPI

Sue Kell, Ph.D, M.Ed, CSPI

Teresa Kinzie, RN, CSPI

Kathy Mayo, RN, CSPI

Lisa Turner, BSN, RN

Scott Wiley, BSN, CSPI

Steven Yoder, BSN, CSPI

Public Health Educator

Kristin Wenger, MA, BS

Administrative Specialists

Heather Collier

Teresa Dorrier

continued page 2

POISON TRIVIA

Ricin is a deadly poison that can be

processed into a biological weapon. What

common ornamental garden plant is the

source of ricin?

A. Castor bean plant

B. Rhododendron

C. Spiderwort

Answer on pg. 3

“There are old mushroom hunters and

there are bold mushroom hunters, but

there are no old and bold mushroom

hunters.” -source unknown

Plentiful summer rain means wild

MUSHROOMS. Right now in central and

southwest Virginia they are cropping up

everywhere in a grand assortment of

WILD MUSHROOMS: Myth vs. Fact

continued page 3

2

Do keep all medicines, cleaners, and disinfectants

stored up high, out of the sight and reach of

children. These products often look like candy or

sweet beverages to children.

Do keep the Blue Ridge Poison Center

programmed in your phone. Save the number,

save a life: 1-800-222-1222.

Here are some things you should avoid:

Don’t use hand sanitizer on large areas of your

body. It is only safe to use on your hands.

Don't use hand sanitizer that may contain

methanol, which could cause serious

injuries. Check the list of unsafe products found to

contain methanol at www.fda.gov.

Don't swallow or gargle hand sanitizer or any

cleaning product. This will not prevent a COVID-19

infection, and may cause illness.

Don't use household cleaning products on your

skin. This could cause skin irritation or burns.

Don't mix cleaning products together. This could

create a poisonous gas.

Download a free one-page handout of these safety

tips from our website. Print, post, or share in any way.

English and Spanish versions

available. Visit

www.brpc.virginia.edu and

choose “Free Materials” from

the menu, or just click here.

continued from front— Poisoning Prevention and COVID-19: Do’s and Don’ts.

Do you know how to use hand

sanitizer properly?

Use only the amount

necessary to cover all

the surfaces of your

hands, including the

back of your hands

and in between your

fingers. Usually one

“squirt” from the pump

dispenser is enough. More is not better.

Rub all surfaces of your hands together

until they feel dry. This should take

around 20 seconds. Do not rinse or

wipe off the hand sanitizer before it’s

dry; it may not work as well against

germs.

Do not use hand sanitizer if your hands

are visibly dirty or greasy, or may have

chemicals on them, such as after

gardening, playing outdoors, doing

mechanical work or yard work. It will

not be as

effective.

Use

regular

soap and

water

instead.

3

colors, sizes, and shapes. Foraging, photographing,

and identifying wild mushrooms are popular hobbies

for outdoor enthusiasts. Some varieties are edible and

delicious. But some varieties can make you very sick.

Some are deadly. There is even a species of

mushroom that will only make you sick if you eat it

and also drink alcohol. The differences between wild

mushroom species may be so subtle, even an

experienced mycologist (mushroom scientist) can

make a mistake.

Mushroom identification can be tricky. Comparing a

wild mushroom to a picture may not help you pinpoint

the exact species. Many subtle characteristics must be

considered, including: color; the shape of the cap; the

shape and color of the gills underneath the cap; how

the cap attaches to the stalk; the appearance of the

stalk (especially the very bottom part which is often

underground); where the mushroom is growing and

what other mushrooms or plants are nearby; the time

of year; and the color of the dust-like spores (the

‘seeds’). To make matters even more complicated,

these characteristics may change as the mushroom

matures. When in doubt, it is best not to eat what

you have picked.

Children are particularly at risk for mushroom

poisoning. They may not understand that there is a

difference between wild and store-bought

mushrooms. [Note: Long ago, at age 4, this author fed

little brown mushrooms growing in the back yard to

Continued from front— Wild Mushrooms: Myth vs. Fact

POISON TRIVIA ANSWER: A-Castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), a showy perennial with

large purple-green leaves and seed pods. Even though ricin is so toxic, accidental poisoning is

extremely rare even when someone has swallowed a bean or two, as it takes quite a bit of

processing to extract the poison from the beans. Nevertheless: keep the beans away from

pets and children, and call the poison center if you suspect anyone has swallowed any beans.

Images L to R: Castor beans; castor bean plant

my 2 year old brother…much to my parents’ horror.

Luckily the mushrooms turned out to be harmless.]

It is important to watch young children closely when

outdoors. Tell older children that they should never

eat any plants,

berries, or

mushrooms they

find growing wild

outdoors until a

trusted adult has

identified them as

edible.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning may be delayed

by hours or even days after eating, when the toxins

have begun to attack the liver or other organs.

Certain species can cause hallucinations, dizziness,

drowsiness, dilated pupils, or muscle spasms. Other

species cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, and sharp

abdominal pain. The most dangerous species found

in Virginia belong to the Amanita genus; even one

bite can be life-threatening.

There are many myths about poisonous mushrooms. Beware of “old wives tales” and bad advice from inexperienced foragers.

MYTH: Poisonous mushrooms always have bright,

flashy colors.

continued page 4

4

From pg. 3— Wild Mushrooms: Myth vs. Fact

TRUTH: Some

poisonous mushrooms

are white or bland in

color.

MYTH: Poisonous

mushrooms taste

terrible.

TRUTH: It is reported

that some taste very

good.

MYTH: Snails, insects, or other animals won’t eat

poisonous mushrooms.

TRUTH: The poisonous compounds in

mushrooms don’t affect all animals, including

people, the same way.

MYTH: A poisonous mushroom will be safe to eat

if you cook it enough.

TRUTH: Neither cooking, canning, freezing, or

drying will make a poisonous mushroom safe to

eat.

If you believe someone may have eaten an

unsafe mushroom, contact the Blue Ridge Poison

Center for guidance: 1-800-222-1222. Do not

wait for symptoms to develop. If possible, try to

collect a sample of what was eaten to help

experts identify it.

Amanita phalloides

Source: Wikimedia Commons

News & Notes

The U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA)

announced recently that some hand

sanitizer products have been found to

contain methanol, a dangerous ingredient

which could cause illness or injury when

absorbed through the skin or swallowed.

Methanol—or wood alcohol-- is NOT an

approved or recommended ingredient for any sanitizing or

disinfecting product. The FDA is performing an ongoing

investigation into the problem.

Exposure to methanol can cause nausea, vomiting,

headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures,

coma, permanent damage to the nervous system and

death. Children who accidently swallow these products and

adolescents or adults who drink these products as an

alcohol (ethanol) substitute are most at risk.

The FDA created a “Do not use” list of hand sanitizers

found to contain methonal. The list is available on their

website and is updated regularly. Go to www.fda.gov or

CLICK HERE.

Who doesn’t

love

storytime?

Check out

the video of

the BRPC’s

Educator

reading

Poisons Make You Sick, a children’s book by Dorothy

Chlad. Visit the ‘Learning Center’ of our website at

www.brpc.virginia.edu, or CLICK HERE. Stay tuned till the

end for a bonus demonstration on look-alike poison

dangers.

This free, quarterly newsletter is courtesy of the Blue Ridge Poison Center, serving Southwest and Central Virginia and the Shenandoah

Valley. We encourage you to print, post, forward, or share in any way. Questions or comments? Contact Kristin Wenger, Health

Educator, Blue Ridge Poison Center, University of Virginia Health: 434-982-4386 or klw2s@virginia.edu.

Poison Safety Tips & More! www.brpc.virginia.edu @blueridgepoison Find us on Facebook

Amanita muscaria Credit: Sue Kell, BRPC