WASHINGTON — The manufacturer for Lysol, a disinfectant spray and cleaning product, issued a statement warning against any internal use after President Donald Trump suggested that people could get an "injection" of "the disinfectant that knocks (coronavirus) out in a minute."
"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)," said a spokesperson for Reckitt Benckiser, the United Kingdom-based owner of Lysol, in a statement to NBC News.
"As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information," the statement continued, adding that the company believes it has a "responsibility in providing consumers with access to accurate, up-to-date information as advised by leading public health experts."
Medical expert 'worried' about Trump after bizarre question on injecting disinfectantAPRIL 23, 202001:39At the White House coronavirus briefing on Thursday, Trump suggested that people could be treated with "ultraviolet or just a very powerful light" to kill the virus after a presentation from a medical expert showed that the virus might not live as long in warmer and more humid temperatures. Trump then also mentioned an "injection" of "disinfectant" to deter the virus.
"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."
Trump did not specify the kind of disinfectant.
Medical professionals were quick to dispute Trump's claims as "irresponsible" and "dangerous."
“This notion of injecting or ingesting any type of cleansing product into the body is irresponsible and it’s dangerous," said Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist, global health policy expert and an NBC News and MSNBC contributor.
"It’s a common method that people utilize when they want to kill themselves," Gupta added.