Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday mentioned the impact that warm weather and sun could have on the new coronavirus — one day after President Donald Trump touted a federal study that indicates sunlight, humidity and certain disinfectants can weaken the coronavirus.

Trump's comments quickly drew criticism after he wondered aloud at his televised news conference on Thursday whether that those measures be used as treatments for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. Medical officials have said there is no evidence that sunlight should be used as a treatment for the virus.

Reynolds' comments came during her daily news conference Friday as she talked about ways that the state is monitoring data about the spread of the coronavirus in Iowa, including looking at county and community-level data and expanding state testing capabilities.

More:Reynolds lifts bans on nonessential surgeries, farmers' markets starting on Monday

"Every day we learn more, we have additional testing capabilities and ways that we — now they’re talking about warm weather and sun and the impact that that has on the virus so every day we are learning more and more and more to really help us mitigate and manage COVID-19 and really help us in our decision-making as we move forward," Reynolds said.

Asked a follow-up question by a reporter about how the impact of sunlight and warm weather is still unknown, Reynolds said she wasn't saying everyone should think that the virus will go away soon.

"My point is that every day through studies and clinicals and things that are happening with experts in the field we’re learning more and more," she said. "And so they’re going to confirm that, they’re going to continue to study it. It’s going to be a long time before that’s probably part of the solution moving forward. But my point is to Iowans is that every day we have more tools that we’re able to utilize, we learn more about how it’s spread."

More:The latest on coronavirus in Iowa

Trump on Thursday drew criticism when he suggested sunlight may be a way to treat the virus.

"I would like you to speak to the medical doctors to see if there's any way that you can apply light and heat to cure. You know — but if you could. And maybe you can, maybe you can't. Again, I say, maybe you can, maybe you can't. I'm not a doctor," Trump said Thursday.

Trump then asked Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, whether she had heard of using heat and light as a treatment for the virus.

"Not as a treatment," Birx said.

The Department of Homeland Security study, which the agency described as "emerging," found the lifespan of the virus on a surface or in the air could be significantly reduced by exposure to sunlight and humidity. But a top official with the department warned against Americans changing their behavior based on the preliminary findings.

"Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both on surfaces and in the air," said Bill Bryan, an undersecretary of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security.

Early studies have differed on the impact environmental factors such as sunlight have on the virus, and the DHS report is not the first to suggest a link. On the other hand, warmer states such as Louisiana and Florida have also witnessed sharp increases in coronavirus cases.

"It would be irresponsible for us to say that we feel that the summer is just going to totally kill the virus and that if it’s a free-for-all and that people ignore those guidelines," Bryan said. "That is not the case."

Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine at George Washington University Hospital, said there's no medical basis for Trump's statements about sunlight.

Dr. Jesse Goodman, the former chief scientist of the FDA and now a Georgetown University professor and attending physician, told USA TODAY the amount of heat and light needed to kill the virus would be harmful to cells within the body and was "not something we now have evidence to support."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

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