Humanity is at it again: a good amount of self-proclaimed coronavirus “cures” have been popping up recently, and the FDA isn’t putting up with it.
Seven companies who have been peddling these kinds of products have received warning letters from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
In the agency news release, Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner for the FDA, said, “The FDA considers the sale and promotion of fraudulent COVID-19 products to be a threat to the public health.”
There are currently no known cures or vaccines for COVID-19.
The companies that were sent letters are Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., Xephyr LLC doing business as N-Ergetics, GuruNanda, LLC, Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy LLC, and The Jim Bakker Show.
A lot of the companies also included the sales of essential oils, colloidal silver, teas, and tinctures. All of these are unapproved drugs and treatment options. Colloidal silver, in particular, has been shown to be dangerous and incapable of treating any condition in the past.
The selling of these false treatments is dangerous on many levels. It is preying upon the growing concern and panic about the spread of the coronavirus, tricking people into paying for treatments that are ineffective. Furthermore, it can cause a person to stop or delay the proper treatment for the virus, and cause their condition to worsen. Both of these things threaten the person, as well as the people around them.
Since the outbreak of the virus, we have seen the prices of goods increase, with items such as face masks, hand sanitizers, and more going for absurdly high prices. Online sales of virus protection goods has also increased 817%, which is a truly incredible spike.
The companies that were sent letters have 48 hours to out line their plans to correct the violations, and could face legal action, including seizure or injunction. The FDA and FTC will also continue to monitor social media, online marketplaces, and complaints to ensure companies don’t start trying to sell under a different name.
