President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2020. Photo / AP
President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2020. Photo / AP
Experts are having to warn American people not to inject themselves with disinfectant after US President Donald Trump today hinted that could be a way to cure Covid-19 (even though it isn't).
Trump made the dangerous claims during his Thursday briefing, after a US government homeland official revealed the results of tests that showed sunlight and UV rays helped kill the coronavirus.
In his bizarre, and potentially fatal, outburst, Trump suggested people should inject themselves with "disinfectant" and hit "the body with light" to cure coronavirus.
President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room. Photo / AP
To be 100 per cent clear: those are not things anyone should be doing.
The millionnaire real estate mogul turned US president then added: "I'm not a doctor".
"Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light? And I think you said, that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it," Trump asked a homeland security official.
"And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that too. Sounds interesting," Trump said.
"And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that? By injection inside or almost a cleaning. As you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that," he added.
"So that you're going to have to use medical doctors. But it sounds interesting to me."
Bleach and isopropyl alcohol - agents commonly used to kill the virus in the environment and surfaces - are toxic to the body when ingested, even in small amounts.
Experts have had to jump in and strongly warn people against following Trump's suggestions.
Pulmonologist and global health policy expert Dr Vin Gupta slamming his comments as "dangerous".
"This notion of injecting or ingesting any type of cleansing product into the body is irresponsible and it's dangerous," Dr Gupta told NBC News.
"Any amount of bleach or isopropyl alcohol or any kind of common household cleaner is inappropriate for ingestion even in small amounts. Small amounts are deadly."
Here is Dr. Birx's reaction when President Trump asks his science advisor to study using UV light on the human body and injecting disinfectant to fight the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/MVno5X7JMA
Following the news about the possible impacts of UV light and heat on the virus, Trump called on US citizens to go out and "enjoy the sun".
"I hope people enjoy the sun, and if it has an impact that's great," he said during the daily briefing.
Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, listens as President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus. Photo / AP
"I once mentioned that maybe it does go away with heat and light. And people didn't like that statement that much."
Researchers convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine analysed studies done so far to test virus survival under different laboratory conditions as well as tracking where and how COVID-19 has spread so far.
Here is Dr. Birx's reaction when President Trump asks his science advisor to study using UV light on the human body and injecting disinfectant to fight the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/MVno5X7JMA
"Given that countries currently in 'summer' climates, such as Australia and Iran, are experiencing rapid virus spread, a decrease in cases with increases in humidity and temperature elsewhere should not be assumed," the researchers wrote earlier in April in response to questions from the White House Office of Science and Technology.
In addition, the report cited the global lack of immunity to the new virus and concluded, "if there is an effect of temperature and humidity on transmission, it may not be as apparent as with other respiratory viruses for which there is at least some pre-existing partial immunity."
You know how bleach and other home cleaning supplies and disinfectants have child-proof lids to protect children from drinking them? This is because drinking them can kill them so it keeps our kids safe! This is also the reason why we don't inject disinfectants into people🙄
They noted that during 10 previous flu pandemics, regardless of what season they started, all had a peak second wave about six months after the virus first emerged.
In March, Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organisation's emergencies chief. said, "We have to assume that the virus will continue to have the capacity to spread, and it's a false hope to say yes, it will just disappear in the summertime like influenza."
Sorry to burst bubbles, but it’s hot and sunny all year round in Singapore and we’re still getting hammered by the coronavirus pandemic. The heat has not saved us.
