Australia brand fined $28,000 for misleading COVID-19 claim in 'anti-virus' leggings ad

A popular Australian clothing label has been penalised for asserting that its "anti-virus" leggings and tops are effective against COVID-19, health officials said at a press conference on Saturday, July 17.

The brand of Brisbane, Lorna Jane, was fined A$40,000 (US$28,000) after it was exposed claiming on its website that its "anti-virus activewear" was a chemical-free treatment to prevent viral infections, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said in a statement.  

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"LJ Shield breaks through the membrane shell of any toxic diseases, bacteria or germs that come into contact with it, not only killing that microbe but preventing it from multiplying into anymore," the clothing line wrote on its website. “Any bacteria that comes in contact with the fabric is terminated when it comes in touch with the LJ Shield particles,” the company said in a fundamentally false claim.  

Chair of the Australian Medical Association Ethics and Medico-Legal Committee, Dr. Chris Moy, was quoted saying that LJ Shield claims "made no sense" and it implied protection so out of context like users would wrap the leggings around the face like a mask. He added people must not rely on such baseless claims that leggings could protect the from COVID-19 to any significant degree. 

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"Non-toxic mist" alongside coronavirus

Department of Health Deputy Secretary John Skerritt reportedly said this nature of advertising could have consequences for the Australian community, creating a false sense of security and leading people to be less vigilant about hygiene and social distancing.

Brand’s website mentioned a "non-toxic mist" alongside coronavirus, claiming, that it created a "permanent, chemical-free shield" to kill the viruses. However, after it was fined and called out, the clothing line later rebranded its leggings from "anti-virus" to "anti-bacterial" on the website. 

In an official statement on its website, Lorna Jane said, “Now with there being such a focus on the COVID-19 virus and recent press making that the only focus, we didn't want to mislead anyone.”

It further added, saying, “Our testing shows that LJ Shield is an important part of stopping the spread of both bacterial and viral infections and should be used in combination with other precautionary measures such as face masks and thorough and frequent hand washing.”

As per local Australia reports, the TGA has previously issued a warning about illegal advertising related to coronavirus to brands of air purifiers, medicines, medical devices, etc for making baseless claims of “killing coronavirus”.  

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