Little is known about the use or misuse of cleaning products during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compiled data from January to June in 2019 and 2020 from Canadian poison centres, and report on calls regarding selected cleaning products and present year-over-year percentage change. There were 3408 (42%) calls related to bleaches; 2015 (25%) to hand sanitizers; 1667 (21%) to disinfectants; 949 (12%) to chlorine gas; and 148 (2%) to chloramine gas. An increase in calls occurred in conjunction with the onset of COVID-19, with the largest increase occurring in March. Timely access to Canadian poison centre data facilitated early communication of safety messaging for dissemination to the public.

RésuméOn sait peu de choses sur l’utilisation, correcte ou incorrecte, des produits de nettoyage pendant la pandémie de COVID-19. Nous avons compilé des données provenant de centres antipoison canadiens pour janvier à juin 2019 et janvier à juin 2020 et nous rendons compte ici des appels relatifs à certains produits de nettoyage et de l’évolution en pourcentages entre ces deux périodes. Il y a eu 3 408 appels (42 %) portant sur des agents de blanchiment, 2015 (25 %) sur des désinfectants pour les mains, 1667 (21 %) sur des désinfectants, 949 (12 %) sur le chlore gazeux et 148 (2 %) sur la chloramine gazeuse. On a observé une augmentation du nombre d’appels en concomitance avec l’apparition de la COVID-19, avec un pic en mars. L’accès rapide aux données des centres antipoison canadiens a permis une communication précoce de messages de sécurité au public.

Little is known about the use or misuse of cleaning products during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compiled data from January to June in 2019 and 2020 from Canadian poison centres, and report on calls regarding selected cleaning products and present year-over-year percentage change. There were 3408 (42%) calls related to bleaches; 2015 (25%) to hand sanitizers; 1667 (21%) to disinfectants; 949 (12%) to chlorine gas; and 148 (2%) to chloramine gas. An increase in calls occurred in conjunction with the onset of COVID-19, with the largest increase occurring in March. Timely access to Canadian poison centre data facilitated early communication of safety messaging for dissemination to the public.