Health professionals warn against ingesting disinfectants amid virus
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Local public health officials are putting out warnings after President Donald Trump suggested testing injections of disinfectants in humans to cure coronavirus during a briefing at the White House on Thursday.
“I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute one minute. Is there a way we can do something like that?” said Trump. “By injection inside or almost a cleaning because you see it gets on the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that so you don’t have to use medical doctors.”
The president’s comments raised concerns that people may try it at home.
Lysol is telling the public to don’t use its disinfecting products to internally treat COVID-19. The company issued a warning after what it called ‘recent speculation.’
IU Health Toxicologist Dr. Kristine Nanagas said multipurpose cleaners and bleach have very harmful ingredients that case severe damage to your body.
“If you drink it it will damage the esophagus and stomach,” said Nanagas. “If you inject it it will cause all manner of things up to and often including death.”
News 8 spoke with people around downtown Indianapolis who said were disappointed a top leader of the United States would say such a thing.
“I suggest that people don’t do that,” said Nina Himes.
Public health officials don’t want people to get confused as there have been studies done on disinfectants and bodily fluids from coughing or sneezing.
“In the studies that have been done on bodily fluids mean what do they do on surfaces when bodily fluids have reached that surface,” Nanagas added. “Nobody has looked at in anyway drinking or injecting disinfectants because we already know that is very dangerous.”
President Trump also brought up using ultraviolet (UV) lighting to cure coronavirus.
“Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful like,” Trump said. “Supposing we brought the light inside the body which can do either through the skin or some other way.”
However, UV lights can be harmful as well.
“UV light can be used as a therapy, but again only on very specific diseases. Coronavirus is not one of those diseases,” Nanagas said.
Doctors really want to stress that disinfectants are used to clean and they are not at all vaccine.
The president said Friday the suggestion was merely sarcasm.
“I answered the question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen. I was asked a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside.. but it does kill it and would kill it on the hands and make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters.”