The Iowa Poison Control Center is seeing an uptick in calls about carbon monoxide poisoning as many of us are indoors most of the time, with our homes and offices sealed up from the cold. Poison Center spokeswoman Janna Day, a licensed practical nurse, says she hasn’t heard of any carbon monoxide deaths in the state this winter, but there -have- been plenty of poisoning cases. “Carbon monoxide is actually known as the silent killer because it is invisible, and it’s odorless, and it’s tasteless,” Day says, “and you don’t know that it exists in your home unless you have a carbon monoxide detector.”
Day says the most common causes of carbon monoxide poisonings are water heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, stoves, and people keeping their cars running in their garages.
