Doctors have strongly warned against using disinfectant to treat coronavirus. Their plea follows suggestions by US President Donald Trump that disinfectant could be used to treat COVID-19. President Trump said: "I see the disinfectant, where it knocks [the virus] out in one minute....Is there a way we can do something like that by injection?...It gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs." Mr Trump said his comments had been made "sarcastically". The White House said the media took the comments out of context and wrote "negative headlines".
Disinfectants are toxic substances and can have fatal consequences if injected or ingested. The maker of the best-selling disinfectant, Lysol, warned that its product should "under no circumstance" be injected or ingested. The American Medical Association also joined in the chorus of concern. It said: "It is unfortunate that I have to comment on this, but people should under no circumstances ingest or inject bleach or disinfectant." It added: "Rest assured, when we eventually find a treatment for or vaccine against COVID-19, it will not be in the cleaning supplies aisle."