A poison control center in central Virginia is warning people not to drink bleach in an attempt to keep themselves from contracting the coronavirus.

"There is a lot of confusing, incomplete, and just plain inaccurate information circulating about how to prevent the COVID-19 virus (“coronavirus”) from spreading," a letter from the Blue Ridge Poison Center obtained by CBS19 read. "The Blue Ridge Poison Center at UVA Health warns that drinking bleach will not prevent COVID-19 infections and could cause serious injury."

The center told the station it has been receiving reports of people drinking cleaning products to protect them from the COVID-19 virus.

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"When used correctly, cleaning products can be a safe and effective weapon against the spread of disease-causing germs including the COVID-19 virus," the center said. "However, these products and others used to clean and disinfect may have the potential to be toxic if used incorrectly."

The advisory echoes incidents in Iran, where dozens died from drinking bootleg liquor, thinking it would fight off the virus.

So far, more than 4,200 cases of the virus in the United States and its territories have been reported, including 75 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 51 cases have been reported in Virginia.

