Due to a high demand of sanitizers, many companies have produced bootleg products containing methanol. Methanol is extremely toxic when absorbed through the skin or consumed orally and may cause blindness and death. Some sanitizers may not contain the correct percentage of ethyl alcohol or may be labeled as FDA approved when there are no hand sanitizers that are currently approved by the FDA. It is important to look on the FDA or Health Canada websites to confirm that the sanitizer being used is safe and effective. This is based on the product DIN or NPN present on the packaging.
Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there has been a spike in accidental poisonings from consumption of alcohol-based sanitizers and use of methanol in sanitizers in the USA. This may also be a result of the direction of the President of the USA insinuating that injecting disinfectants may be a treatment for COVID-19. It is important to look at scientific data and reliable sources when searching for methods of protecting yourself and others around you from the virus such as the CDC, Health Canada and provincial/state websites.