During Thursday’s coronavirus briefing the president floated the idea of ‘an injection inside’ – and medical doctors were quick to denounce it

Donald Trump had barely distanced himself from statements that malaria treatment could cure the coronavirus before he had moved on to another, even more unorthodox suggestion.

On Thursday night White House officials shared pretty predictable findings: that sunlight and common cleaning supplies can kill a virus within minutes when applied to different surfaces. But then the president had to take it to another level.

'Don't inject Lysol': maker of household cleaner hits back at Trump virus claim Read more

“I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute,” Trump said. “One minute! And is there a way we can do something, by an injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that. So, that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me.”

Reactions were, as one would expect, quite swift.

Medical doctors have been quick to denounce the idea of injecting cleaning products to clear the virus. Just watch Trump’s coronavirus response coordinator Dr Deborah Birx’s face turn from shock to bemusement as she hears his suggestion.

Daniel Lewis (@Daniel_Lewis3) Here is Dr. Birx's reaction when President Trump asks his science advisor to study using UV light on the human body and injecting disinfectant to fight the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/MVno5X7JMA

If a qualified physician – who nonetheless has spent enough time with Trump to know his tendency to fabricate – is this shocked, it’s hard not to feel sorry for Trump’s base. Which story are they supposed to believe?

Matt Haig (@matthaig1) Donald Trump supporters are struggling right now. They are having to simultaneously think Coronavirus is just the flu while also thinking it is a Chinese bio weapon designed to turn them communist all while standing in their kitchens injecting disinfectant into themselves. Hard.

Many have analyzed the way in which Trump uses simple, accessible language in his speeches – around the level of what an eight-year-old could understand. Some are now suggesting his own processing capabilities might be in line with that.

Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) Trump absorbs/processes info on a 3rd grade level. Doctors talk about the impact of disinfectant & UV rays on the virus on surfaces/outside the body. Trump’s inability to intelligently process info leads him to suggest putting dsinfectants & sunlight INSIDE the body. #unfit https://t.co/FGP6Hg84Ho

Harvard’s toxicology Twitter account felt the need to issue medical advice online following Trump’s statement, giving a scientific reason for why you shouldn’t swallow bleach (you know, for when common sense won’t suffice).

Harvard Toxicology (@Harvard_Tox) 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

Comments such as these, which could potentially harm the public, should be taken seriously. But some took the slapstick approach (making memes) to help them digest.

And it makes sense. Because at a time like this, you have to laugh, because truly there are no tears left.

Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) How to medical pic.twitter.com/0EDqJcy38p

Employees at Clorox and Lysol must be thinking: “This is not the job I signed up for.”

Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) I have a lot of sympathy for every PR people at every single disinfectant company who was told yesterday, “Look, we need to you write a serious non-profane press statement telling people not to inject bleach—in the next 10 min, please.”

Neuroscientist Dr Sanjay Gupta, on the other hand, felt more sorry for the doctors who have to spend their time advising Trump.

New Day (@NewDay) .@drsanjaygupta on Dr. Birx and officials' reactions to Trump’s comments about sunlight and disinfectant: “I don't know how they continue to do the job sometimes because they just have to spend as much time spinning around this stuff as they do actually talking about the science” pic.twitter.com/33sYsooSBA

Political pundits likened the speech to something that you might find on a satirical news website such as the Onion. The only thing more satirical, surely, is that this is real life.