April 24 (UPI) — Makers of the disinfectant Lysol on Friday warned against ingestion of the product after President Donald Trump suggested it could be effective in treating the coronavirus.
In his daily briefing Thursday, Trump surprised staff and health experts by suggesting that disinfectants, which are useful in killing the virus on surfaces, could work equally well inside the human body.
“I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute,” he said,” Is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning? Because, you see, it gets inside the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.”
Friday, Lysol was unequivocal about the product’s use.
“We must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body,” Lysol manufacturer Reckitt Berckiser said in a statement.
“As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines.”
“Consumers are searching online sources for guidance on what they should do. However, not all information is based on sound science,” it added. “The information void has led to the occurrence of misinformation, misperceptions and myths propagated by sources that lack the credibility to provide authoritative comment.”
Trump’s suggestion was met with concern and warning that taking toxic chemicals internally is not advisable. He also floated an idea, after William Bryan of the Department of Homeland Security said research indicates the coronavirus could be killed by sunlight.
“We’ve heard the president trying to practice medicine for several weeks now, but this is a new low that is outside the realms of common sense or plausibility,” said Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist University Hospitals in Cleveland.
Others feared that some might follow Trump’s remarks to fight off the coronavirus.
“Please don’t poison yourself because Donald Trump thinks it could be a good idea,” former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted.
Weeks ago, Trump said malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine could be used to treat COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration warned Friday that there are potentially serious side effects associated with using hydroxychloroquine to treat the virus.
The FDA said researchers found some coronavirus patients who used the drug away from a hospital setting developed irregular heartbeats and nearly two dozen died after taking daily doses.
