The manufacturer of Lysol, a disinfectant spray and cleaning product, issued a statement warning against any internal use after President Donald Trump suggested that people could get an “injection” of “the disinfectant that knocks coronavirus out in a minute”.
What We Know:
- The company Reckitt Benckiser warned customers that putting cleaning supplies in your body by any means – injecting, swallowing, etc. – is extremely dangerous.
“As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body. As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information.”
- In a statement issued several hours before Trump spoke, the Environmental Protection Agency said, “Never apply the product to yourself or others. Do not ingest disinfectant products.”
A reminder to all Americans- PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/ medication to yourself or a loved one.
Your safety is paramount, and doctors and nurses are have years of training to recommend what’s safe and effective.
— Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) April 24, 2020
- William Bryan of the Department of Homeland Security said, there was no consideration of internal use of disinfectants. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the president and other Republicans “reject science” and said Trump must be disregarding the advice of his medical experts.
- After the briefing, Trump also suggested that people could be treated with “ultraviolet or just a very powerful light” to kill the virus after Bryan’s presentation showed that the virus might not live as long in warmer and more humid temperatures.
- Medical professionals were quick to dispute Trump’s claims as “irresponsible” and “dangerous”. According to the medical experts who have commented thus far, Trump is wrong about the effects that bleach would have on people’s health and curing COVID-19. What injecting oneself with cleaning products will do is attack the body with poisons that are nearly impossible to survive.
ALERT🚨: We have received several calls regarding questions about disinfectant use and #COVID19.
This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.
— Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) (@MDMEMA) April 24, 2020
- The White House claimed Friday morning that the media was mischaracterizing Trump’s comments regarding coronavirus treatment. Now, social media is once again reacting to the remarks coming from the White House, expressing the dangers of even suggesting cleaning product ingestion as a solution to COVID-19. The hashtag #DontDrinkBleach and #InjectDisinfectant are both trending on Twitter (along with Tide Pods in case you forgot what happened there).
Just in case, once more for the people in the back: Household cleaning supplies will not cure coronavirus and do not belong in your body. (Please tell us you already knew that.)
