Lysol makers warn against ingesting disinfectants after Trump suggests it 'knocks it out in a minute'
The makers of Lysol and Dettol warned people to not inject or drink disinfectants in order to treat COVID-19 after President Donald J. Trump suggested that researchers look into it as a possible treatment.
"Under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion, or any other route)," manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser said.
"As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines."
The warning came shortly after the president gave his remarks during a White House coronavirus briefing on Thursday, according to BBC News. Now, the POTUS is facing a major backlash for suggesting that it would be "interesting to check" whether injecting a disinfectant in one's body could help kill the novel coronavirus.
Furthermore, he also said that researchers should try and find if coronavirus patients can be treated by inserting light or administering disinfectants into their bodies.
"Is there a way we can do something like that by injection, inside, or almost a cleaning?" he asked the panel of researchers. "It would be interesting to check that."
Trump's comments were heavily criticised by doctors and generated a huge online response, causing well-known cleaning brands to trend on social media.
In a statement on Friday, Reckitt Benckiser said the "recent speculation and social media activity" prompted them to clarifyb whether the internal application of disinfectant could be a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus. Nonetheless, the makers warned that their products should not be consumed by a person under any circumstances.
The president's remarks and suggestions came after William Bryan of the Department of Homeland Security's science and technology unit delivered a report highlighting how ultraviolet rays and heat had a devastating impact on the pathogen.
Following which Trump hypothesised about the possibility of using a "tremendous ultraviolet" or "just very powerful light" on or even inside the body as a potential treatment.
"And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute," he said. "And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and does a tremendous number on them, so it'd be interesting to check that," he said.
Bryan of the Department of Homeland Security's science and technology unit however clarified that health officials were not considering any such treatment for COVID-19.
What's more? The research also found that bleach is highly effective in destroying the virus in saliva, killing it within a span of five minutes. Meanwhile, isopropyl alcohol was found to kill the pathogen in under a minute.
Having said that, the study is yet to be made public and is still awaiting control evaluation, despite offering a glimmer of hope that infections could wane with an increase in temperature as the summer approaches.
"Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both surfaces and in the air," Bryan said. "We've seen a similar effect with both temperature and humidity as well, where increasing the temperature and humidity or both is generally less favorable to the virus."
The sterilizing effect of ultraviolet light on pathogens is known for a long time. The UV radiation reportedly damages the virus's genetic material and its ability to reproduce. However, it is yet to be revealed what intensity and wavelength of UV light were used in the experiment, and whether researchers are able to accurately mimic the natural light conditions in summer.
In a statement, the White House press secretary defended the president, saying he had "repeatedly" told Americans to consult doctors about treatment.
"Leave it to the media to irresponsibly take President Trump out of context and run with negative headlines," Kayleigh McEnany said.