At his nightly news conference/free-association shit show on Thursday, Donald Trump—president of the United States, failed casino owner, and self-proclaimed very stable genius—suggested that injecting disinfectants into COVID-19 patients could perhaps cure them.

Yep, he said it, swear to God: “I see the disinfectant that 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? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.”

Here’s the video:

×

OK, so we all know this is a phenomenally stupid idea, right? It’s so stupid, in fact, that you won’t even find research on what happens when you drink bleach to “cleanse the body,” says N.C. State toxicology professor Scott Belcher, because, well, duh. Disinfectants and household cleaners, whether injected or ingested, are highly toxic to the body.

“Serious irritation and pain would result, and yes, you could die,” Belcher says in an email.

Let’s do the science: Disinfectants are a sort of molecular bulldozer breaking down everything in their path. But unlike antiviral or antibacterial drugs, Belcher says, they don’t target what’s attacking the body.

“The chemicals work as disinfectants because they disrupt the cellular and molecular components of bacteria and viruses,” Belcher says. “They will do the same to human cells—at the high concentrations used in household products, these chemicals will destroy the molecular structure of every cell they interact with and will not distinguish between your cells and a virus.”

Photo illustration by Annie Maynard

And that idea about injecting a little bleach into our lungs? “Absurd,” Belcher says. “Disinfecting chemicals are poison. Injecting or drinking strong chemicals such as bleach, isopropyl alcohol, or even soap is dangerous. Read the warning labels, use common sense, and never, ever intentionally put these poisonous substances in your body.”

Pretty much the entire medical and hygienic world spent the morning dunking on the president.

The manufacturer of Lysol: “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).”

Harvard Toxicology: “Please don’t inject bleach or drink disinfectant. Bleach injections cause hemolysis (where your red blood cells that carry OXYGEN break apart) and cause liver damage, and many disinfectants can cause dangerous burns or bleeding in your stomach. This tweet IS medical advice.”

Mark McClellan, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration who now runs the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy: “Yeah. I think that’s definitely not a good idea,” he said during a Q&A with reporters on Friday.

The moral of the story is, don’t take medical advice (or anything advice) from a guy who spent weeks hocking hydroxychloroquine as the Greatest Drug Ever until a study showed it really, really wasn’t.

Also, don’t drink bleach.

This has been a Public Service Announcement from your friends at the INDY.

Contact Raleigh editor Leigh Tauss at ltauss@indyweek.com.

DEAR READERS, WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW MORE THAN EVER. Support independent local journalism by joining the INDY Press Club today. Your contributions will keep our fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle, coronavirus be damned.