Local medical expert says cleaning products should not be used to treat coronavirus
PHOENIX - The Surgeon General, as well as cleaning product companies, have issued warnings against consumers putting cleaners in their body to treat or prevent COVID-19.
The warnings came after remarks President Donald Trump's remarks during a news conference on Thursday, when he noted, on camera, that researchers were looking at the effects of disinfectants on the virus, and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people, turning to White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and asking if it could be investigated.
On Friday, President Trump sought to clarify the remarks, claiming he was speaking sarcastically.
“I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters, like you, just to see what would happen,” Trump said on Friday during a bill signing in the Oval Office.
“I was asking a sarcastic, and a very sarcastic question, to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside, but it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters,” he continued.
The words mattered enough to the parent company of Lysol, which put out a statement saying their disinfectant shouldn’t be administered into the human body.
“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 (through injection, ingestion or any other route),” said the statement from Reckitt Benckiser.
"They’re not really intended for human consumption injection anything like that," said Maureen Roland, Managing Director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center. "Ingestion, again, burning of the throat, even some fatalities with chemical ingestion."
The poison center typically receives 200 to 300 calls a day. A number that’s been going up.
“We’ve seen an increase with calls regarding household cleaning problems of 50% from March to year-to-date, essentially," said Roland.
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Additional resources
LIVE: Interactive Coronavirus case data and map
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) - How it spreads, symptoms, prevention, treatment, FAQ
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html (In Spanish/En Español)
Arizona COVID-19 Response - Public resources, FAQ, webinars
https://www.azdhs.gov/coronavirus
https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/es/covid-19/index.php#novel-coronavirus-home (In Spanish/En Español)
In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.