The White House coronavirus task force coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, was seen looking incredulous as President Donald Trump touted baseless coronavirus cures at a Thursday press conference.

Trump called on medical experts to study whether ultraviolet rays or injecting disinfectant could cure COVID-19.

Doctors have warned against the ideas and criticized Trump for publicly discussing them.

It is not the first time top medical officials have reacted with astonishment at claims Trump has made in the White House briefing.

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A video shows Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, reacting with apparent dismay on Thursday evening as President Donald Trump said the US should investigate whether injecting disinfectant or beaming people with ultraviolet rays might cure the novel coronavirus.

As the camera zooms in, Birx can be seen blinking rapidly in seeming incredulity as Trump began speculating on cures that experts say have no grounding in scientific fact and could be dangerous if acted on.

"So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light," the president said in the briefing.

He then turned to Birx saying: "I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it."

"And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside of the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that too. Sounds interesting," the president continued.

"And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? So it'd be interesting to check that."

He then asked Birx whether she had ever heard of using "the heat and the light" to treat viruses.

"Not as a treatment," Birx said. "I mean, certainly, fever is a good thing. When you have a fever, it helps your body respond. But I've not seen heat or light."

Birx at the White House coronavirus briefing on April 4. Associated Press/Patrick Semansky

Birx isn't the first official whose reactions to Trump's comments have been captured and widely shared on social media.

In March, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, put his hand to his face in a seeming gesture of dismay as Trump launched into a digression referencing a right-wing conspiracy theory.

The same month Birx was criticized for claiming that Trump was attentive to "scientific literature and details."

"I think his ability to analyze and integrate data that comes out of his long history in business has really been a real benefit during these discussions about medical issues," she remarked at the time.