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Fitness & Health

24th Apr 2020

Donald Trump (wrongly) suggests injecting bleach to cure coronavirus

Carl Kinsella

Donald Trump

Do not ever do this.

US President Donald Trump has won the shock and ire of the scientific and medical communities after suggesting bogus treatments for Covid-19, such as injecting bleach, and UV ray treatment.

Speaking at a briefing on Thursday evening, the US President dumbly speculated that: “I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? So it’d be interesting to check that.”

Similarly, the president suggested that the virus could be attacked by exposure to “powerful light”. He said: “Supposing you brought the light inside of 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. Sounds interesting.”

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, was on hand during the briefing to note that these methods had not been explored as a way of fighting the virus.

One doctor, John Balmes of San Francisco General Hospital, said: “Inhaling chlorine bleach would be absolutely the worst thing for the lungs. The airway and lungs are not made to be exposed to even an aerosol of disinfectant.

“Not even a low dilution of bleach or isopropyl alcohol is safe. It’s a totally ridiculous concept.”

At least 42,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the United States.

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