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A 13-year-old was hospitalized after his eyes swelled and closed due to an allergic reaction to a Facebook reality viewer he received as a Christmas gift.
Lewis Gray received the Oculus Quest 2 from his grandparents and was excited to try out his new technology.
However, the next day mom Kirsty Reed, 33, noticed that the skin around her son’s eyes and forehead had started to turn red.
Shortly thereafter, his eyes began to swell and he was taken to the hospital, where doctors determined he was suffering from an allergic reaction, Hull Live reports.
A recall notice for the product showed that Facebook dealt with 5,716 reports of skin irritation, with users experiencing rashes, swelling, burning, itching, hives and bumps, after wearing the device.
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Oculus Quest 2, also known as Meta Quest 2, is a virtual reality headset created by Facebook Technologies and can be used for gaming.
Mom Kirsty, from Chertsey, Surrey, said, “He played it on Christmas Day every now and then for a few hours.
“When he woke up on Boxing Day there was irritation along his cheekbones and forehead.
“It almost looked like she was wearing blush.
“There was a slight amount of swelling so I gave him some Piriteze, but the next morning he woke up his eyes almost closed from the swelling.”
Lewis Gray’s puffy eyes. (Image: Kirsty Reed / SWNS) Read more related articles
On Monday (12/27), he woke up and his father Christopher Gray, 39, rushed him to the urgent care center at St Peter’s Hospital in Lyne.
When the doctor saw it, they suggested it was likely a delayed allergic reaction to the earpiece and prescribed some precautionary antihistamines and steroids.
Kirsty said: “It’s troubling because you don’t know what’s going to happen or if the reaction will go further to the throat.
“Anaphylaxis was a major concern as the swelling was so great.
“The doctors had said that if I had more eye irritation or had more swelling we would have to go back.
“He could have closed his eyes completely if he had continued.
“He’s not very nice. I don’t think he fully understood until he talked to the doctor.”
Support Officer Kirsty researched Oculus Quest 2 and found that the product had been temporarily retired in July.
Facebook, now known as Meta, began receiving reports of skin irritation in December 2020 and launched an investigation.
This was then updated in April, stating that it “identified some traces of substances normally present in the manufacturing process that could contribute to skin discomfort.”
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He added that even though they were below industry standards, they had “changed” [their] process to reduce them further “.
But, in July, another notice was posted on the Oculus website stating that the more people started using the headset, the more cases came.
It said, “We have received reports that a very small percentage of Quest 2 customers have experienced skin irritation after using the Quest 2 Removable Foam Facial Interface.”
Facebook / Meta also offered a free silicone cover to headphone owners to protect their skin, and that all new units would include one from Aug 24.
The Oculus Quest 2 given to Lewis Gray as a Christmas present. (Image: SWNS) Read more related articles
A recall notice showed that Facebook received 5,716 reports of facial skin irritation, with reactions including rash, swelling, burning, itching, hives and bumps, following the use of Oculus Quest 2.
They also received about 45 reports of consumers needing medical attention.
Kirsty said: “What I can tell from what I’ve read is that it’s the foam on the headset itself and there are chemicals in it.
“But it doesn’t say that nothing could cause irritation in the information booklets that accompany it.
“It took me a bit of research to find the problems.”
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Lewis’s device arrived with the silicone cover, but Kirsty claims there was no indication as to why it was there.
Although epilepsy warnings were included and the product was not suitable for children under 13, Kirsty couldn’t see anything that mentioned potential skin irritation.
He said, “It doesn’t even come with a cover, it’s separate, which makes you think if that’s a problem why doesn’t it come with it?
“It’s a truly high-tech play device that many children want and we need this warning about the potential risks.
Kirsty Reed and Lewis Gray, 13 with Oculus Quest 2. (Image: SWNS) Read more related articles
“Why do they still make it exactly the same way when they know there’s a problem?
“Lewis is lucky enough that he has no underlying allergens, but for someone who is prone to anaphylaxis it could kill someone.”
The furious mom of two has contacted Oculus who has since told her to stop her son from using the product and that they will contact her for the next steps.
Andrew Bosworth, head of Facebook Reality Labs, posted a letter in July addressing reports of skin irritation.
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It read: “We took skin irritation reports very seriously as soon as we learned about them, and, starting in December, we promptly conducted a thorough investigation, including advice from leading dermatologists and toxicologists.
“These experts have warned that skin irritation can occur in certain segments of the population from many household items, even things like tomatoes or shampoo, and that the rates we have seen are in line with expectations.
“Our investigation has determined that our manufacturing process is safe, which means that no unexpected or dangerous contaminants were found in the Quest 2 foam interface or manufacturing process.”
A statement on the MetaQuest / Oculus website reads: “As more and more people have started using Quest 2, we have received reports that a very small percentage of Quest 2 customers have experienced skin irritation after using the foam face interface. Removable of Quest 2.
“We have worked hard to address the issue by collaborating with experts and making changes to our manufacturing process and communicating proactively with regulators.
“The safety and comfort of every customer is our top priority. As part of this commitment, we are now offering a free silicone cover to Quest 2 headset and Quest 2 fit pack owners worldwide.”
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