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During his daily briefing on Thursday, President Donald Trump had a suggestion to help cure people of coronavirus. He said an “injection” of disinfectant into a patient’s lungs might deter the virus.
Trump made the remark after Bill Bryan of Homeland Security’s science and technology division gave a presentation.
The presentation talked about research Bryan’s team had conducted. It showed how the virus doesn’t live as long in warmer, more humid temperatures.
“The virus dies quickest in sunlight,” said Bryan. This prompted Trump to wonder if you could bring sunlight “inside the body.”
“So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous—whether it’s ultraviolet or just a very powerful light—and I think you just said that hasn’t been checked because of the testing,” said Trump to Bryan. “And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or some other way, I think you said you’re going to test that, too.”
Trump went on to add, “I see the disinfectant that 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, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.”
Trump did not specify the type of disinfectant he thinks would work.
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Dr. Vin Gupta, a global health policy expert and pulmonologist, was quick to remark on Trump’s words.
“This notion of injecting or ingesting any type of cleansing product into the body is irresponsible and it’s dangerous,” Gupta said. “It’s a common method that people utilize when they want to kill themselves.”
Trump has already been under fire for touting unproven treatments. One treatment he encouraged actually lead to an Arizona man dying.
In late March, the man from Arizona died after ingesting chloroquine phosphate. The man’s wife spoke with NBC News and said her husband got the idea after Trump talked about the potential benefits of chloroquine during a televised briefing.
A top official was ousted from his job this week after he refused to sign off on chloroquine treatments that were being pushed by the Trump administration.
Before trying any kind of medical treatment, you should always consult with a doctor first. Patients with underlying health conditions are especially at risk, including those who might suffer a stroke triggered by AFib.
Related: Ventilators Mean Death for Coronavirus Patients? What a New Study Reveals
