Asthma and Chemicals: A Focus on Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased use of cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilization chemicals. Some of these chemicals can cause asthma in people with no prior history of the disease. Some can also trigger asthma attacks in individuals who already have asthma. This fact sheet provides a brief summary of the links between chemicals and asthma, and options for using safer alternatives.