In Good Health
news on COVID-19 from Consumer Health Digest

Skeptical COVID-19 resource page launched (Consumer Health Digest #20-12 March 29, 2020)
The Center for Inquiry (CFI) has launched its Coronavirus Resource Center to counter minsinfirmation about COVID-19. The information includes links to: (a) recent relevant CFI publications, (b) other articles exposing false and misleading claims, and (c) recommended consumer information sources. Since Professor William M. London is curating coronavirus content for the resource center, Consumer Health Digest will focus on other issues.

Lupus, arthritis patients face shortages of drugs hyped for COVID-19 (Consumer Health Digest #20-11 March 22, 2020)
Lupus and arthritis patients are struggling to obtain their full prescriptions of chloroquine (Aralen) or the safer, more widely used variant hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) due to the increasing demand for the drugs for treating patients with coronavirus disease. [Zoellner D. Coronavirus: Lupus sufferers facing drug shortage after spike in prescriptions for potential Covid-19 treatments. Independent. March 21, 2020] The use of these drugs in coronavirus disease treatment is based on favorable, but only preliminary clinical evidence. [Irfan U. What you need to know about hydroxychloroquine, Trump's new favorite treatment for Covid-19. Vox. March 20, 2020] According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists: (a) chloroquine, which is made by one manufacturer in the United States has been in shortage since March 9th, and (b) four of eight U.S. suppliers of hydroxychloroquine also have shortages. [Dunn A. Elon Musk and Trump are touting a 1940s malaria pill as a potential coronavirus treatment. But supplies are already running short as prescriptions spike. Business Insider. March 20, 2020] The Lupus Association of America, the Arthritis Foundation, and 94 other national patient organizations have sent a letter to Congressional leaders calling for a response to the COVID-19 pandemic that includes ensuring that people with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis retain access to hydroxychloroquine.

Where to report fraudulent COVID-19 products (Consumer Health Digest #20-13 - April 5, 2020)
To deal with the surge in products falsely claimed to prevent or cure coronavirus, the FDA has set up a special e-mailbox at fda-covid-19-fraudulent-products@fda.hhs.gov.

Promoter of bleach nostrum wrote to Trump before his bleach blunder (Consumer Health Digest #20-16 April 26, 2020)
Mark Grennon, the self-styled "archbishop" of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, the largest producer and distributor of chlorine dioxide bleach as a "miracle cure" has announced that he wrote to President Trump last week to advise him that the bleach product "Miracle Mineral Solution" (MMS) is "a wonderful detox that can kill 99% of the pathogens in the body" and "can rid the body of Covid-19". A few days later, Trump suggested at a press conference the possibility of using disinfectant as a COVID-19 treatment. Grennon also said that 30 of his supporters also wrote to Trump. The Guardian contacted the White House, to ask whether Gannon's letter had influenced Trump's comments, but had not yet received a response. [Pilkington E. Revealed: leader of group peddling bleach as a coronavirus 'cure' wrote to Trump this week. The Guardian. April 24, 2020] Meanwhile, leading manufacturers of cleaning products have responded to Trump's advice by warning people not to drink or try to inject themselves with disinfectants. [Bienkov A. Bleach manufacturers have warned people not to inject themselves with disinfectant after Trump falsely suggested it might cure the coronavirus. Business Insider. April 25, 2020] Meanwhile, a federal court has ordered the "Church" and four individuals to stop distributing MMS as a COVID-19 treatment. [Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: federal judge enters temporary injunction against Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, preventing sale of chlorine dioxide products equivalent to industrial bleach to treat COVID-19. FDA news release. April 17, 2020].

Spike found in Google searches for unproven COVID-19 drugs (Consumer Health Digest #20-17 - May 3, 2020)
Researchers have found large increases in Google searches involving the terms buy, order, Amazon, eBay, or Walmart (the latter being the top three e-commerce companies) combined with chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, presumably due to their promotion as COVID-19 therapies by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. [Liu M. and others. Internet searches for unproven COVID-19 therapies in the United States. JAMA Internal Medicine. April 29, 2020] The researchers argued:
In times of public health crises, therapies not supported by adequate evidence—such as would lead to US Food and Drug Administration approval—should not be touted by public figures. Endorsements can lead to unsupervised use of the products with dangerous consequences to the people who take them, and hoarding of these medications can result in shortages for those who require them for legitimate health reasons.

Historical and modern quackery spotlighted (Consumer Health Digest #20-17 - May 3, 2020)
Dr. Lydia Kang, author of Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything, and Dr. Stephen Barrett were featured in a 7-minute CBS Sunday Morning segment that compared quackery of the 1800s with egregious COVID-19 quackery. [Tales from the annals of medical quackery. CBS Sunday Morning. April 26, 2020].

Guidance provided for countering conspiracy claims (Consumer Health Digest #20-19 May 17, 2020)
Four scholars who study conspiracy theories have identified seven traits of conspiratorial thinking and explained how they are displayed in the misleading COVID-19 video "Plandemic," which has been viewed millions of times on YouTube. [Cook J and others. Coronavirus, 'Plandemic' and the seven traits of conspiratorial thinking. The Conversation. May 15, 2020] The traits are:
- contradictory beliefs
- overriding suspicion
- nefarious intent by conspirators is assumed
- conviction that something is wrong, and the official account is based on deception
- thinking of themselves as persecuted victims
- immunity to evidence
- reinterpreting randomness as patterns caused by conspiracy
The scholars concluded: "Understanding and revealing the techniques of conspiracy theorists is key to inoculating yourself and others from being misled, especially when we are most vulnerable: in times of crises and uncertainty."

COVID-19 quackery summaries published (Consumer Health Digest #20-21 - May 31, 2020)
Products and services hyped for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 are discussed in:
Dubious COVID-19 treatments and preventives. Center for Inquiry (first published May 27, 2020 with updates provided by Professor William M. London).
Gavura S. An incomplete list of COVID-19 quackery. Science-Based Medicine. May 28, 2020.

COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs associated with social media use (Consumer Health Digest #20-24 - June 21, 2020)
Researchers have reported the findings of three online surveys about COVID-19 protective behaviors, use of social media as a source of information about COVID-19, and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs. The conspiracy beliefs included claims that the COVID-19 public health crisis was caused by a manufactured virus and that the risks involved have been greatly exaggerated. The survey participants were UK residents aged 18 or older who had expressed an interest in surveys about COVID-19. [Allington D. Health-protective behaviour, social media usage and conspiracy belief during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Psychological Medicine. June 9, 2020] The findings included:
- The most commonly held conspiracy belief was in a laboratory origin for the coronavirus.
- Holding one or more conspiracy beliefs was associated with preference for social media over legacy media as a general source of information and with use of social media for knowledge about COVID-19.
- YouTube had the strongest association with conspiracy beliefs, followed by Facebook.
- Holding one or more conspiracy beliefs was very strongly associated with not following all health-protective behaviors.
- Holding the belief that 'Coronavirus was probably made in a laboratory' was associated with frequently checking social media for news about COVID-19.
The researchers concluded:
In the UK, broadcast media are subject to official regulation, and many print media platforms are subject to voluntary regulation, but social media are largely unregulated. One wonders how long this state of affairs can be allowed to persist while social media platforms continue to provide a worldwide distribution mechanism for medical misinformation.

Herbalife distributors accused of making false COVID-19 claims (Consumer Health Digest #20-26 - July 5, 2020)
A TruthInAdvertising.org investigation has cataloged more than 30 instances in which Herbalife, through its distributors, improperly claimed that various company products can treat and/or prevent the coronavirus by boosting one's immune system. The consumer advocacy organization has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Herbalife. [TINA.org alerts FTC to Herbalife distributors' coronavirus claims. TINA.org. Apr 27, 2020] While the FTC has sent dozens of warning letters to businesses making deceptive coronavirus-related claims, Herbalife is still not among those businesses.

Criminal charges against promoters of bleach as COVID-19 cure (Consumer Health Digest #20-27 July 12, 2020)
Mark Grenon, 62, and his sons, Jonathan Grenon, 34, Jordan Grenon, 26, and Joseph Grenon, 32, who allegedly marketed "Miracle Mineral Solution" (MMS), a toxic bleach, as a cure for COVID-19, have been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and criminal contempt. [Father and sons charged in Miami federal court with selling toxic bleach as fake "miracle" cure for covid-19 and violating court orders. US Attorney's Office Southern District of Florida news release. July 8, 2020].
According to the criminal complaint affidavit, the Grenons allegedly:
- directed their customers to ingest MMS, a solution that contains sodium chlorite and water, which causes the solution to become chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach
- claimed that MMS can treat, prevent, and cure COVID-19
. marketed MMS as a miracle cure-all for dozens of other serious diseases and disorders, including cancer, Alzheimer's, autism, multiple sclerosis, and HIV/AIDS, even though the FDA had not approved MMS for any use
- sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, an entity they allegedly created to avoid government regulation of MMS
- willfully violated civil court orders to halt distribution of MMS
- sent letters to the judge presiding over the civil case saying that they would not comply with the Court's orders and that the judge should be "taken out."
The judge ordered that all websites selling MMS be immediately removed from the Internet and that all supplies involved in the product creation be confiscated and destroyed. Multiple agencies were called to the "church" location in Bradenton, Fla. in connection with search warrants and the federal order. Hazmat crews were reportedly called to assist with the warrants. [Federal agencies, hazmat crews respond to Florida church selling COVID-19 'miracle solution'. 23WIFR. July 8, 2020] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS, explaining that drinking MMS is the same as drinking bleach and can cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure. The FDA has received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and dying after drinking MMS.

Mask-exemption fakery exposed (Consumer Health Digest #20-28 July 19, 2020)
Mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic is an essential public health measure for reducing airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus, but far too many people are discouraging it. "Mask exemption" cards are circulating online and on social media that say the holder has a disability that prevents wearing a mask and that it is illegal for any business to ask them to disclose their condition. Variations of the card include the seal of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), one of the federal agencies responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Such cards are neither issued nor endorsed by DOJ or any other U.S. government agency. The most widely offered cards have been offered by the "Freedom to Breathe Agency," whose Web site also provides misinformation about masks. [Barrett S. Mask exemption cards are not government supported. Quackwatch, July 18, 2020]

Harmful impact of coronavirus conspiracy theories exposed (Consumer Health Digest #20-29 July 26, 2020)
In a 22-minute video, comedian John Oliver has provided with help from several celebrities one of the most entertaining illuminations available of the harmful impact of the current pandemic of coronavirus conspiracy theories. [Coronavirus: Conspiracy Theories. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), July 19, 2020] Oliver discusses the importance of raising three questions in response to conspiracy theories:
Is there a rational non-conspiracy explanation?
Has this been held up to scrutiny by experts?
How plausible is this conspiracy, as a practical matter?
At least eight other Last Week Tonight with John Oliver videos about the novel coronavirus are available on YouTube.

Genesis II operators arrested and ordered to stop selling MMS (Consumer Health Digest #20-32 - August 16, 2020)
Colombian officials say they have arrested Mark Grenon and his son Joseph Grenon who are wanted in the United States on charges they illegally sold chloride dioxide-releasing "Miracle Mineral Solution" (MMS) as a miracle cure for COVID-19 and other diseases under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. The Colombian prosecutor's office said the Grenons were shipping their products from the beach town of Santa Marta to clients in the United States, Colombia, and Africa. [Associated Press. Floridians who promoted bleach cocktail as a COVID-19 cure arrested in Colombia. CBC, Aug 13, 2020] In July, Mark and his sons Jonathan, Jordan, and Joseph, all of Brandenton, Florida, were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; and criminal contempt. [Father and sons charged in Miami federal court with selling toxic bleach as fake "miracle" cure for Covid-19 and violating court orders. U.S. Attorney's Office, news release, July 8, 2020] Earlier this month, a U.S. District Court in Florida entered permanent injunctions that prohibit the Grenons and their "church" from selling or distributing unapproved or misbranded products such as Mineral Miracle Solution (MMS). [Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup. FDA news release, Aug 11, 2020] The perpetrators' main websites now state: "Due to US Dept. of Justice permanent injunction against the Genesis II Church, this site is closed. —Bishop Mark S. Grenon."

FDA Commissioner blasted for political cowardice (Consumer Health Digest #20-34 - August 30, 2020)
Eric Topol, M.D., the editor-in-chief of Medscape, has accused FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, M.D. of making COVID-19-related policy statements based on pressure from the Trump Administration rather than on science-based information. In an open letter that detailed what Hahn has done wrong, Topol concluded:
You have one last chance, Dr Hahn, for saving any credibility and preserving trust in the FDA at this critical juncture amidst the pandemic. You need to organize a press conference and tell the truth. Tell Americans exactly how you were pressured to make a breakthrough announcement. Tell all of us how you completely misrepresented the facts about convalescent plasma, and not hide this with the obscurity of technical terms such as relative and absolute differences. Tell us that you are capable and worthy of this pivotal leadership position and that you will not, under any condition, authorize a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine approval before the full Phase 3 completion and read-out of a program. 
Otherwise, you need to resign. We cannot entrust the health of 330 million Americans to a person who is subservient to President Trump's whims, unprecedented promotion of unproven therapies, outrageous lies, and political motivations. You have two choices to do the right thing. We cannot and will not rest until you make that choice. [Topol E. Dear Commissioner Hahn: Tell the truth or resign. Medscape, Aug 31, 2020]

Former FDA Commissioners lambaste Trump administration (Consumer Health Digest #20-39 - October 4, 2020)
Seven former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioners including Scott Gottlieb, the first FDA commissioner in the Trump administration, have coauthored an opinion piece objecting to:
- a White House statement that it "might try to influence the scientific standards for vaccine approval put forward by the FDA or block the agency from issuing further written guidance on its criteria for judging the safety and benefits of a potential COVID-19 vaccine"
- Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar revoking the FDA's authority to establish rules for food and drug safety on September 15th, instead claiming that sole authority for himself
- acknowledged acts of political influence on the FDA's coronavirus communications
- significant misstatements by the secretary and other political leaders about the benefits of hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma
- the overruling of FDA scientists on the regulation of covid-19 laboratory tests
The former commissioners expressed concern that the FDA's ability to make the independent, science-based decisions is at risk and that the public's confidence in the FDA is being eroded. [7 former FDA commissioners: The Trump administration is undermining the credibility of the FDA. Washington Post, Sept 29, 2020]

Marketers of bleach “miracle cure” indicted (Consumer Health Digest #21-16 - April 25, 2021)
Mark Scott Grenon, 62, and his three sons, Jonathan David Grenon, 34, Jordan Paul Grenon, 26, and Joseph Timothy Grenon, 32, have been criminally charged with fraudulently marketing and selling “Miracle Mineral Solution” (MMS) as a cure for COVID-19, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, autism, malaria, hepatitis, Parkinson’s disease, herpes, HIV/AIDS, and other serious medical conditions. They were further charged with defying federal court orders. Each of the Grenons was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and two counts of criminal contempt. If convicted, they each face up to life in prison. [Florida family indicted for selling toxic bleach as fake “miracle” cure for COVID-19 and other serious diseases, and for violating court orders. U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida news release, April 23, 2021] The criminal complaint and indictment charge that the Grenons:
- manufactured, promoted, and sold MMS—a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper
- manufactured MMS in a shed in Jonathan’s backyard in Bradenton, Florida
- sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, an entity they are accused of creating to avoid government regulation of MMS and shield themselves from prosecution
- received more than $1 million from selling MMS
- willfully violated a federal court injunction halting the Grenons’ distribution of MMS
- threatened the federal judge presiding over the civil case and threatened that, should the government attempt to enforce the court orders halting their distribution of MMS, they would “pick up guns” and instigate “a Waco”
When a search warrant was executed at Jonathan Grenon’s house at the time of his arrest, officers seized dozens of chemical drums containing nearly 10,000 pounds of sodium chlorite powder, thousands of bottles of MMS, and other items used in the manufacture and distribution of MMS. The government also recovered multiple loaded firearms, including one pump-action shotgun concealed in a custom-made violin case to disguise its appearance.
MMS has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any medical use. In 2019, the FDA strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use it for any reason, explaining that drinking MMS was the same as drinking bleach and could cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure. The FDA received reports of people requiring hospitalization and even dying after drinking MMS.

Credentialed promoters of COVID-19 falsehoods spotlighted (Consumer Health Digest #21-17 - May 3, 2021)
Cancer researcher and physicist David Robert Grimes, Ph.D., has written a critique of “eminently qualified scientists and physicians” who “have propagated falsehoods across social media, elevating themselves to the status of gurus in order to lend a veneer of seeming scientific legitimacy to empty, dangerous claims.” [Grimes DR. COVID has created a perfect storm for fringe science. Scientific American, April 26, 2021] He argues:
The dark irony is that these fringe figures weaponize the societal trust afforded to science, unduly amplifying their capacity to unleash serious harm. To mitigate this, we need to keep in mind the vital distinction [between] “science” and “scientists.” Individual scientists are far from infallible; they can be fooled by subtle mistakes, haunted by spurious conclusions or even become so ideologically wedded to a belief they bend facts to fit that preconception. Their motivations are human; they can be seduced by the lure of money, infamy or admiration. Science, by contrast, is a systemic method of inquiry, where positions are formed on the totality of evidence. Crucially, to be labeled “scientific,” ideas should be testable, and those that fail to withstand dispassionate investigation are duly discarded.

Deceptive “health freedom” rhetoric debunked (Consumer Health Digest #21-19 - May 16, 2021)
In a recent essay, Susannah Crockford, author of Ripples of the Universe: Spirituality in Sedona, Arizona, says the “health freedom” movement is “where opposition to public health meets conspiracy theories about the New World Order meets spiritual and religious claims about personal wellbeing and societal freedom.” [Crockford S. The ‘health freedom movement’ enters the COVID era by disseminating medical disinformation. Religion Dispatches, May 13, 2021] She concludes:
The Health Freedom movement casts vaccination as eugenics and population control aimed at the most vulnerable for the profit of healthcare and pharmaceutical corporations. Their rhetoric positions them as the underdog fighting for freedom against the oppressor.
However, the effects of large portions of the population remaining unvaccinated or unmasked disproportionately impacts historically oppressed communities through the perpetuation of COVID-19. The rhetoric of the Health Freedom movement obscures the actual impact of their advocacy, which exacerbates social inequality through reifying ideals of individual choice in healthcare. Those with the highest incomes have the best access to healthcare; they’re the least impacted by the continuing spread of COVID-19 and its variants. They’re also the most able to pay for unnecessary supplements, organic food, and expensive gym memberships to support their natural immunity. You might say they have the most freedom to begin with.
Todd Stiefel, founder and president of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, made similar points in a commentary about a North Carolina rally he says was “in support of HB 558, a bill that would prohibit requiring proof of vaccination or immunity in public accommodations, employment, or to attend any school, public or private.” He notes that demonstrators declared “their cause to be a ‘civil rights issue’ on a par with laws protecting Black and LGBTQ people from being denied service at a lunch counter or a cake shop.” [Stiefel T. Vaccine opponents warped view of freedom. Center for Inquiry, May 10, 2021] He argues:
This is a warped understanding of liberty. Your freedom to drive a car does not include the right to ignore stop signs. People who speed through stop signs risk not only their personal safety but that of the rest of us. And so is it with people who reject vaccines during a pandemic. Reasonable safety regulations are essential right now. If we do not have 70% of the population with immunity, the virus will continue to spread and potentially mutate into new and possibly vaccine-resistant variants. There are more than 581,000 dead Americans so far. How many more have to die for “freedom”?

Ivermectin fails as COVID-19 treatment in major clinical trial. (Consumer Health Digest #22-41 - October 30, 2022)
A randomized, double-blind trial (ACTIV-6) has found that the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin showed no significant advantage over placebo in shortening COVID-19 recovery times. The study involved 1,591 adult outpatients with mild to moderate symptoms at 93 sites in the United States during the period of Omicron- and Delta-variant predominance. [Naggie S. and others. Effect of ivermectin vs placebo on time to sustained recovery in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA 328:1595-1603, 2022] A commentary about the study notes ivermectin was not demonstrated effective against COVID-19 in most previous randomized trials. It concludes:
OK, are we done with this drug yet? Is this nice U.S. randomized trial enough to convince people that results from a petri dish don’t always transfer to humans, regardless of the presence or absence of an evil pharmaceutical cabal?
No, of course not. At this point, I can predict the responses. The dose wasn’t high enough. It wasn’t given early enough. The patients weren’t sick enough, or they were too sick. This is motivated reasoning, plain and simple. It’s not to say that there isn’t a chance that this drug has some off-target effects on COVID that we haven’t adequately measured, but studies like ACTIV-6 effectively rule out the idea that it’s a miracle cure. And you know what? That’s OK. Miracle cures are vanishingly rare. Most things that work in medicine work OK; they make us a little better, and we learn why they do that and improve on them, and try again and again. It’s not flashy; it doesn’t have that allure of secret knowledge. But it’s what separates science from magic. [Wilson FP. Ivermectin for COVID-19: Final nail in the coffin. Medscape, Oct 25, 2022]
The Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and the American Medical Association together with two pharmaceutical societies, have warned that ivermectin has not been proven safe or effective against COVID-19.

Bogus “Miracle Mineral Solution” cure hucksters convicted (Consumer Health Digest #23-30 - July 23, 2023)
A Miami Florida federal jury has convicted Mark Grenon, 65, and his sons, Jonathan, 37, Joseph, 35, and Jordan, 29, of selling $1 million worth of Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS). To promote the product as a cure for 95% of the world’s diseases, they set up a phony religious front, the Genesis II Church. [Weaver J. Federal jury convicts 4 Florida men for selling bleach solution as ‘miracle’ cure for diseases. Miami Herald, July 20, 2023] The jury found all four defendants guilty of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by distributing MMS, an unapproved and misbranded drug. It also found Jonathan and Gordon guilty of two counts of violating federal court orders requiring them to stop selling MMS in 2020. Contempt charges against Mark and Joseph were dropped as a condition of their extradition from Bogota, Columbia. According to the indictment against the Grenons:

MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water that, when ingested orally, becomes chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper.
In 2019, the FDA had strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS for any reason, explaining that drinking MMS was the same as drinking bleach and could cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure.
The FDA received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and even dying after drinking MMS.
The Grenons used Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, an entity they described as a “non-religious church,” to try to avoid government regulation of MMS and to protect themselves from prosecution.
MMS could only be acquired through a “donation” to the church, but donation amounts were set at specific dollar amounts and were mandatory,

[Florida man, 3 sons convicted of selling bleach as fake COVID-19 cure: “Snake-oil salesmen”. CBS News, July 20, 2023]

Mark Grenon has claimed to have written to Donald Trump, urging him to promote the alleged healing powers of MMS, and provided the then-president with the product shortly before Trump speculated about using “disinfectant” to treat COVID-19. [Pilkington E. Leader behind bleach ‘miracle cure’ claims Trump consumed his product. The Guardian, June 22, 2021]

Bogus “Miracle Mineral Solution" hucksters sentenced to prison (Consumer Health Digest #23-41 - October 8, 2023)
Following their conviction in a Miami, Florida federal court for conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, Mark Grenon and his sons have been sentenced. The group was convicted of selling an unapproved and misbranded drug called "Miracle Mineral Solution” (MMS) through a fake online church.
Mark Grenon, 66, received a five-year prison sentence, must pay a fine of $5,000, and must pay $1,948 in restitution to victims of the family’s scheme.
Joseph Grenon, 36, received a five-year prison sentence with no fine, but received the same restitution order.
Jonathan Grenon, 37, received a sentence of more than 12 years in prison, and received the same restitution order.
Jordan Grenon, 29, received a sentence of more than 12 years in prison, must pay a fine of $2,500, and received the same restitution order.
Jonathan and Jordan were convicted of the main conspiracy charge plus a pair of contempt charges stemming from their violation of court orders to stop selling MMS. Contempt charges against Mark and Joseph were dismissed before trial as part of an extradition agreement with the government of Bogota, Colombia, where they were hiding when they were charged in 2020. [Weaver J. Using fake church, Florida clan sold bleach as ‘miracle’ cure. Dad, 3 sons going to prison. Miami Herald, Oct 6, 2023]
In 2019, the FDA strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS for any reason, explaining that drinking MMS was the same as drinking bleach and could cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure.

Early estimates of in-hospital deaths related to hydroxychloroquine treatment for COVID-19 now available (Consumer Health Digest #24-04 - January 28, 2024)
Researchers from France and Canada have estimated there were 16,990 hydroxychloroquine-related deaths during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in six countries for which relevant data were available: Belgium, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, and the USA. [Pradelle A and others. Deaths induced by compassionate use of hydroxychloroquine during the first COVID-19 wave: An estimate. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 171:116055, Feb 2024] The estimate is based on a calculation that considered: (a) cohort study data to provide estimates of mortality rates and the proportion of hydroxychloroquine exposure; (b) hospitalization data from each country; and (c) data from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials indicating 11% greater odds of COVID-19 patients dying when given hydroxychloroquine. The researchers also noted that hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria and autoimmune rheumatic diseases, was used off-label early in the pandemic to treat COVID-19 despite only low-level clinical evidence of benefit. Studies have since documented an unfavorable risk-benefit balance, especially due to increased heart-related mortality.

page created: March 31st, 2020 and last updated: January 31st, 2024