Published 10:32 IST, April 25th 2020
Laughing stock like never before, Trump claims 'disinfectant' suggestion was 'sarcastic'
The US watched in horror when President Donald Trump asked if there was a possibility of treating COVID positive patients by injecting them with 'disinfectants'
After the US watched in horror as President Donald Trump asked if there was a possibility of treating COVID positive patients by injecting them with 'disinfectants', Trump has now claimed that his comments were 'sarcastic' and nothing else. Doctors and health experts in the US rushed to issue a public advisory to people to not drink disinfectants after Trump during a White House briefing asked if there was a 'way we could inject them (disinfectants) inside'. "I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen," Trump clarified to the reporters.
"It 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 added.
Trump's 'disinfectant' comment
President Trump during a White House briefing said, "Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous- whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light," Trump said. "Supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way."
"Then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks (the virus) out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs," he added.
Top White House coronavirus advisor Deborah Birx who was also present during the briefing was seen squirming in her seat, visibly uncomfortable at the US President's suggestion. Hours later, the maker of Lysol and another disinfectant said its products should "under no circumstance" be used as an internal treatment for the coronavirus.
More than 925,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 and the fatalities count on Friday stood at 51,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Updated 10:31 IST, April 25th 2020