Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2026

Florida-Based Company Illegally Pushing Bleaching Agent as 'Cure' for COVID-19 Variants

Florida-Based Company Illegally Pushing Bleaching Agent as 'Cure' for COVID-19 Variants

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data details at least 20,915 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first detected in the UK and later identified in the US in December 2020. As US health officials begin to recommend the use of booster shots to combat emerging variants, some folks are peddling potentially dangerous alternatives.

Miami, Florida-based Oclo Nanotechnology Science is one of several companies taking advantage of the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the US, according to a new report from The Guardian.

The outlet alleged that Oclo, a company that manufactures and sells chlorine dioxide solutions out of a makeshift laboratory, and its owner, Ricardo Garcia, is marketing its chlorine dioxide "immune booster" formula to US and Latin American consumers.

Despite potential side-effects, like severe vomiting, diarrhea, or life-threatening low blood pressure, Garcia's website advertises the chlorine dioxide solution as an "antiviral" treatment. In a normal commercial setting, a comparable bleach mixture would be used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles.

"B117 ... New variant of coronavirus, the most contagious and dangerous in the United States," reads the website's homepage. The next line touts the "great curative potential" of chlorine dioxide.

The front page also features alleged testimonials from customers who used the chlorine dioxide solution to "treat" a number of infections, including vaginitis and COVID-19.

Milagros Herrera, a local patron from Miami, claimed their "5-year-old son with autism has been able to make an extraordinary recovery in just a few months." However, it is unclear what the child was recovering from.

Autism advocate Fiona O'Leary told The Guardian that Garcia's business is particularly concerning because he is actually a scientist.

"It’s very worrying to me because he’s a professional, and I’ve never seen a scientist make this product before," she said. "He has more knowledge on the chemicals and he’s going to be trusted more."

Furthermore, Garcia's products are being marketed on Facebook, Amazon and across social media platforms.

The Amazon product page for the so-called "immune booster" claims the solution has a "neutral and non-toxic taste."

A number of bleach "cures," like the "Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)" or "Chlorine Dioxide Protocol," were flagged by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the solutions were being marketed on social media websites as cures or remedies for "autism, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and flu, among other conditions."

The US agency warns the solution, when mixed, can have "potentially life-threatening side effects." In short, the FDA says ingesting such products "is the same as drinking bleach."

The MMS made headlines back in July 2020 after federal prosecutors in Miami charged a Florida man and his three adult sons for allegedly peddling the solution as a COVID-19 cure.


Mark Grenon, 62, and his sons Jonathan, Jordan and Joseph were all charged with conspiracy to defraud the US and conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

"Not only is this MMS product toxic, but its distribution and use may prevent those who are sick from receiving the legitimate healthcare they need," said Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
UK Police Contracts With Israeli Surveillance Firms Spark Debate Over Ethics and Oversight
Spain to Conduct Border Checks on Gibraltar Arrivals Under New Post-Brexit Framework
Engie Shares Jump After $14 Billion Agreement to Acquire UK Power Grid Assets
BNP Paribas Overtakes Goldman Sachs in UK Investment Banking League Tables
Geothermal Project to Power Ten Thousand Homes Marks UK Renewable Energy Milestone
UK Visa Grants Drop Nineteen Percent in 2025 as Migration Controls Tighten
Barclays and Jefferies Among Banks Exposed to Collapse of UK Mortgage Lender MFS
UK Asylum Applications Edge Down in 2025 Despite Rise in Small Boat Crossings
Jefferies Reports Significant Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender MFS
FTSE 100 Reaches Fresh Record Highs as Major Share Buybacks and Earnings Lift London Stocks
So, what's happened is, I think, government policy, not just under Labour, but under the Conservatives as well, has driven a lot of small landlords out of business.
Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is resigning from Harvard University as fallout continues over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, with the Dow gaining about six-tenths of a percent, the S&P 500 adding eight-tenths of a percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing roughly one-and-a-quarter percent.
From fears of AI-fuelled unemployment to Big Tech's record investment, this is AI Weekly.
Apple just dropped iOS 26.4.
US Lawmakers Seek Briefing from UK Over Reported Encryption Order Directed at Apple
UK Business Secretary Calls on EU to Remove Trade Barriers Hindering Growth
Legal Pathways for Removing Prince Andrew from Britain’s Line of Succession Examined
PM Netanyahu welcome India PM Narendra Modi to Israel
Shadow Diplomacy: How Harry and Meghan’s Jordan Trip Undermines the Monarchy
Britain’s Channel Crisis: Paying Billions While the Boats Keep Coming
×