Page 16 - April-May 2020 Neat

16 Trump’s ‘Idiotic’ Coronavirus Cures

Light, heat, bleach:

Doctors reject Trump’s

‘idiotic’ coronavirus cures

by By Josh K. Elliott

U.S. President Donald Trump is not a doctor, but
he tried playing one on live TV Thursday by
throwing out unproven guesses for stopping the
coronavirus pandemic, which has killed tens of
thousands of American citizens.

Speaking from the White House during his daily
press briefing, the former real estate mogul and
reality TV star floated the idea of injecting
oneself with bleach or blasting the virus with
ultraviolet light and heat — i.e. tanning — as
potential tactics for killing the virus that causes
COVID-19. He also raised the possibility of
shining light inside the body to kill the virus.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the only real medical expert
in the room from Trump’s team, only half- Anglia in Britain, told Reuters. medical advice without concrete evidence to
smiled and blinked in astonishment. The back it up. The president has spent the last
president also did not present any hard evidence Drinking or injecting disinfectant is more likely month touting the potential benefits of
of his claims, although he did trot out his top to kill humans than the virus, Hunter said. hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria and lupus
science official with the Department of drug, based on one small study out of France.
Homeland Security to pitch the sunlight idea “It is hugely irresponsible because, sadly, there
based on anecdotal evidence. are people around the world who might believe Trump’s recommendation triggered a flood of
this sort of nonsense and try it out for reaction across the world, with countries rushing
“Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous themselves,” he said. to stockpile the drug while creating shortages for
— whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful lupus patients who needed it.
light — and I think you said that hasn’t been Reckitt Benckiser, which makes Lysol cleaning
checked? But you’re going to test it?” Trump products, also warned against using disinfectant Publishers behind the French study have since
said to William Bryan, the DHS official who in any way on the human body. come out to call it flawed, and a recent, larger
initially presented the anecdotal sunlight idea. study of patients at veterans hospitals in the U.S.
“We must be clear that under no circumstance suggests the drug might actually do more harm
Trump continued: “And then I said supposing should our disinfectant products be administered than good.
you brought the light inside the body, which you into the human body (through injection,
can do, either through the skin or in some other ingestion or any other route),” the company said Trump evaded a question about
way, and I think you said you’re going to test in an emphatic statement. hydroxychloroquine on Thursday with a
that, too? Sounds interesting.” muddled answer about its effectiveness.
Americans have already been ingesting more
The president then veered into discussing disinfectant than normal during the coronavirus “We’ve had a lot of very good results, and we
another false cure that has been circulating crisis, according to research released by the U.S. had some results that perhaps aren’t so good. I
among far-right communities for weeks: bleach. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention don’t know,” Trump said. When pressed about
(CDC) earlier this month. CDC researchers saw the veterans hospitals, Trump said he hadn’t read
“I see that disinfectant, it knocks it out. In a a 20.4 per cent spike in calls to poison control the study.
minute. One minute,” Trump said at the briefing, related to ingesting disinfectant in March
before turning at the lectern to Birx, who was compared to the same period of time in 2019. Trump claimed on Friday that he was being
sitting on the sidelines of the news conference. sarcastic about the disinfectant to bait reporters,
Birx could be seen smiling, tight-lipped, as In terms of Trump’s sunlight theory, he has despite video evidence that shows he was
Trump pitched his theories to her in front of a frequently imagined a world in which the virus addressing his experts, not the media with his
national audience. disappears in the spring or summer heat, questions.
although scientists have found no evidence to
“And is there a way that we can do something support that belief. Ultraviolet light has been “I was asking the question sarcastically to
like that, by injection inside or, or, almost a shown to kill virus droplets in the air, but reporters like you, just to see what would
cleaning?” Trump said, directing his words at doctors say there is no way to use it on patients. happen,” Trump claimed at the White House on
Birx. “Because you see, it gets in the lungs and Friday afternoon.
it does a tremendous number … so it’d be “Neither sitting in the sun nor heating will kill a
interesting to check.” virus replicating in an individual patient’s His press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, pointed
internal organs,” said Penny Ward, a professor in the finger at media coverage in a statement
Doctors have checked. Injecting yourself with pharmaceutical medicine at Kings College about Trump’s medical advice.
bleach — a poison — will make you sick, and London and chair of the education and standards
you shouldn’t do it, as many experts were quick committee of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical “President Trump has repeatedly said that
to point out after Trump made the remarks. Medicine. Americans should consult with medical doctors
regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he
“This is one of the most dangerous and idiotic “Drinking bleach kills. Injecting bleach kills emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,”
suggestions made so far in how one might faster. Don’t do either!” she added. she said.
actually treat COVID-19,” Paul Hunter, a
professor of medicine at the University of East It’s not the first time Trump has offered shaky (Continued on Page 17)