ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - As more people are receiving those at-home COVID-19 test kits, poison control centers are getting more calls about issues involving one of the chemicals that helps the test work.
The chemical is sodium azide, which is also the powder used in air bags. Missouri Poison Center Director Julie Weber says it's proving to be a problem for children and adults.
She says children have been ingesting it and adults have been putting it in their eyes.
"With the eye I get concerned, because people wear contacts and that chemical on the eye can cause problems or do damage to the eye. So I'm very cautious about the eye exposures," Weber says. "Fortunately for the ingestion, there's not too much more of a problem that irritation."
Weber says if it gets into your eyes, flush it out with lukewarm water. If it's ingested, just some water and call the Missouri poison hotline at 800-222-1222.
She says when you call you'll get help in seconds, rather than spending minutes to search for help online. She says sodium azide is primarily an irritant with little chance of causing severe or long-term effects.
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