ABSTRACT
Introduction: chlorine dioxide was used as prevention and treatment of COVID-19, in pandemic times, however, there is still no evidence-based medicine to support its benefit. Aim: to describe the perceptions of patients with COVID-19 about chlorine dioxide consumption. Method: a qualitative methodology was used for a deep and experiential approach on the subject in 15 adults belonging to the Huachi Loreto parish of the Ambato canton, in Ecuador, the interviewees are between 30 and 45 years old, with an average of 38,9 years, being 60 % adult men while the remaining 40 % are adult women. Results: the results show that chlorine dioxide was used for both treatment and prevention of COVID-19, what motivated its use was the lack of knowledge of the disease and its high mortality at the beginning of the pandemic, in addition to the influence of people close to the population under study and finally the effect of chlorine dioxide was only positive. Conclusions: all persons who used chlorine dioxide either as treatment or prevention for COVID-19, for multiple reasons, reported no unfavorable effects, however, WHO, PAHO and the Ministry of Health of Ecuador prohibit its use as it lacks evidence-based medicine to justify its effectiveness. © Este es un artículo en acceso abierto.