AP FACT CHECK: Trump's baseless theories on coronavirus

Lysol is for toilet bowls and countertops, t human consumption. company that manufacturers it felt compelled to emphasize danger of ingesting it after President Donald Trump’s musings about heat, light and disinfectant in time of

Trump's thinking-out-loud ories

Trump also gave weight through his bully pulpit to an unproved ory that heat and humidity might hasten destruction of coronavirus, suggesting people could be safer around each or in outdoors.

Research pointing to that possibility is preliminary, or research has found orwise, and this pandemic has spre in tropics and Souast Asia as well as through rrn hemisphere.

Meantime, Trump's veterans affairs secretary

A review:

DISINFECTANT

TRUMP, on virus: "I see disinfectant that kcks it out in a minute, one minute. And is re a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in lungs and it does a tremendous number on lungs. So it would be interesting to check that ... you’re going to have to use medical doctors ... but it sounds -- it sounds interesting to me.” — briefing Thursday.

FACTS: .

fact Trump would even flirt with idea prompted a statement from Reckitt Benckiser, parent company of maker of Lysol and Dettol, that “under circumstance should our disinfectant products be ministered into human body (through injection, ingestion or any or route).”

Clorox echoed that bleach and or disinfectants “are t suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances.”

U.S. surgeon general's office moved to discour people from thinking y can self-medicate from something in house: “PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before ministering any treatment/medication to yourself or a loved one.”

As blowback unfolded, Trump said Friday he was being sarcastic day before.

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SUNLIGHT & HEAT

TRUMP, on an unproved ory that sunlight, heat and humidity can destroy virus faster than inside house: “I hope people enjoy sun. And if it has an impact, that’s great. ... And if heat is good, and if sunlight is good, that’s a great thing as far as I’m concerned."

FACTS: Sunlight may be a disinfectant for spirit and outdoor exercise is recommended in today's social isolation, but re's proof it will make pandemic go away. Without declaring that it would, Trump is again giving traction to a ory that could prompt people to let down ir guard around ors outside.

Dr. Michael Ryan, World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, said in March that "it’s a false hope to say yes, it will just disappear in summertime like influenza.” Trump said early in outbreak he expected it to end with warmer wear of April.

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ROUND 2

TRUMP, on chances of virus returning in fall: “If it does come back — it’s t going to come back — and I’ve spoken to 10 different people, it’s t going to be like it was. ... If we have embers of corona coupled with flu, that’s t going to be pleasant, but it’s t going to be what we’ve gone through in any way, shape, or form. ... You may t even have corona coming back, just so you understand." — briefing Wednesday.

FACTS: His public health officials refuted his statement on spot that coronavirus won't be coming back. As for his statement that it won't be as b in a second round, that's more complicated.

“re will be coronavirus in fall,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, government's top infectious disease expert, said at briefing. “I am convinced of that because of degree of transmissibility that it has, global nature.”

“Next fall and winter, we’re going to have two viruses circulating, and we’re going to have to distinguish between which is flu and which is coronavirus,” said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How b that will be will be determined by a range of factors that can't be predicted with precision. Redfield said situation may be more difficult than w because coronavirus and flu will be circulating at same time, unlike during bulk of current pandemic. Or it may be less difficult if preparations and containment are better than w.

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MALARIA DRUG

VA SECRETARY ROBERT WILKIE, asked wher it’s safe to encour people to take hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment: “Oh, I think so.” — interview Wednesday on MSNBC.

FACTS: That’s t what government’s top health experts have said for weeks, r what his own ncy has suggested. A

Last month, FDA authorized narrow emergency use of malaria drugs for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who aren’t enrolled in ongoing clinical trials. But regulators said y are investigating life-threatening side effects reported to poison control centers and or health authorities.

In one such report, doctors at a New York hospital said that heart rhythm abrmalities developed in most of 84 coronavirus patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and antibiotic azithromycin, a combination Trump has promoted as part of his persistent and inaccurate portrayal of malaria drug as a game-changer.

drug has long been used to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. A few, very small preliminary studies suggested it might help prevent coronavirus from entering cells and possibly help patients clear virus sooner.

Wilkie, as VA secretary, les nation’s largest health system. His ncy’s own health care arm has criticized premature assessments on effectiveness of drug for coronavirus. In an unsigned response to an audit report last month examining wher VA h equate stocks of drug, top VA health officials called it “inaccurate and irresponsible” to assume hydroxychloroquine would benefit veterans for COVID-19.

“re are active investigations into se drugs and many ors, as discussed by Dr. Anthony Fauci,” according to unsigned VA response to ncy’s inspector general. “Yet conclusions have been me on ir effectiveness. To insist that a 14 days’ supply of se drugs is appropriate or t appropriate displays this dangerous lack of expertise on COVID-19 and Pandemic response.”

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WILKIE, on a nationwide study finding that a malaria drug h benefit for treating COVID-19 among veterans: “That’s an observational study. It’s t a clinical study. It was done on a small number of veterans. Sly, those of whom were in last sts of life. And drug was given to m. And I have to also say that drug — we kw drug has been working on middle- and younger veterans ... working in stopping progression of disease.” — interview Wednesday on MSNBC.

FACTS: He mischaracterized

Wilkie rejected a study that relies on his department’s own hospital data and finds benefit from hydroxychloroquine. His claim that it helps younger or middle-d veterans with COVID-19 is also unsubstantiated.

It’s true that study, done by independent researchers at two universities with VA approval, was t a rigorous experiment. Yet with 368 patients, it’s largest look so far at hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, based on VA hospital data.

Researchers analyzed medical records of male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at Veterans Health ministration medical centers who died or were discharged by April 11.

About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone.

Even though people given drug tended to be sicker than comparison group, researchers statistically justed for that and still saw benefit from drug.

re is or published evidence that drug is safe or effective for younger veterans with COVID-19.