U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that injecting the population with disinfectant or shooting light under their skin could potentially treat coronavirus.
Trump talked about the issue at a White House press conference last Thursday where a high-ranking government official said studies showed a mixture of UV light and warmer temperatures could eliminate COVID-19 particles in a matter of minutes.
The President said:
“Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light? And I think you said, that hasn’t been checked out, but you’re going to test it.”
He went on saying:
“And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you’re going to test that too.
And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks 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, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.”
Trump has since been criticized over concerns people will take his advice seriously and potentially harm their bodies.
William Bryan, the head of Homeland Security Science and Technology said that a mixture of concentrated alcohol solutions and bleach can both eliminate the virus.
In truth, they are only meant to remove coronavirus from surfaces and are lethal for humans to ingest.
Doctor Deborah Brinx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, talked about the problems with Trump’s theory, by noting that getting under the sun could help alleviate fever, but that methods to blast UV light under people’s skin are have not yet been invented.
Mr. Bryan talked about new studies conducted by John Hopkins University which showed that if exposed to direct sunlight particles of the virus could die within 90 seconds of exposure and if temperatures are higher than 70f (21c).
However, he also urged people to stick to the social distancing guidelines and added that surfaces that are in the shade can provide shelter for the virus, even during hotter days.
Vice President Mike Pence noted that the government is now hopeful the crisis will start to ease down as the summer days approach. He added that the coronavirus task force will do everything in their power to prepare properly for another wave of the pandemic when winter arrives.
Food and Drug Administration commissioner and member of the White House coronavirus task force, Doctor Stephen Hahn, urged people not to take the President’s comments seriously, saying:
“I certainly wouldn’t recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant.”
In an interview on CNN’s global town hall Dr. Hahn said that it is a “natural question” considering the fact that there is some data to suggest that light therapy can truly have an impact on COVID-19.
Former Baltimore health commissioner, Doctor Leana Wen, backed Mr. Hahn by saying that people should not be ingesting bleach or any other disinfectants.
“I don’t think there’s any need to hedge on that,” she said. “Do not try these things at home, and follow your doctor’s advice and follow good public health guidance.”
For the full White House briefing, please see the video below.
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