BLAINE, Wash. — Federal investigators are looking into a Whatcom County company for allegedly claiming its products, specifically copper water bottles, can protect people from the novel coronavirus.
The website copperH20.com invites customers to "experience the benefits of a copper water bottle."
Federal investigators, however, aren't buying what they're selling.
"For every medical condition people want to find a 'pill' that will solve their problems but unfortunately for most medical conditions that just doesn't exist," said Christine DeLorme, an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
According to federal investigators, the company has claimed that for $32.50 copper water bottles will help you keep coronavirus away.
The FTC begs to differ and sent a warning letter to CopperH20 ordering them to "immediately stop making (those) claims."
"There is no pill, no gadget, no essential oil that's for general use that has been proven to prevent, treat or cure coronavirus," said DeLorme.
According to the FTC, CopperH20 claimed its water bottles will help worried, COVID weary customers "avoid viruses including the coronavirus" and that copper has been "shown to kill COVID-19 in 4 hours." It also claims that coronavirus germs "will be destroyed on impact."
In a statement, CopperH2O disputed that the company suggested its products can treat or prevent COVID-19, saying this was a "misinterpretation of the content on our website."
"What we have said is that copper as a material has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which is scientifically supported by a number of credible scientific studies," a spokesperson said in a statement.
The company pointed to a March study in "The New England Journal of Medicine" that found COVID-19 lasted up to four hours on copper as opposed to plastic and stainless steel, which the virus could live on for two to three days.
However, CopperH2O said it modified or removed some content from its website "to ensure that our true meaning (as reflected above) would not be misinterpreted."
DeLorme saw it differently.
"They are taking advantage of people who desperately want to find some way to feel in control, to feel like there is something they can do, something they can take to feel more secure," said DeLorme.
The FTC said it has received 240,000 complaints about COVID related products since the start of the pandemic.
DeLorme said these certainly won't be the last.
"Every time there is some public health concern there are people who take advantage of it," DeLorme said.
Editor's note: The text version of this story has been updated to include a response from CopperH2O.