Do not inject yourself with bleach to cure coronavirus, holy crap

I can’t believe I have to say this, but here we go: do not inject yourself with bleach. You could die.

On Thursday, the President of the United States, one of the most politically powerful men in the world, seriously suggested the coronavirus could be killed by introducing disinfectant or a “very powerful light” into a person’s body.

"I see the disinfectant where it knocks [the coronavirus] out in a minute, one minute," said Trump during the White House’s daily coronavirus briefing. "And is there a way we can do something like that by 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."

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It should go without saying that this idea is dangerously, mind-bogglingly wrong, but apparently these truths are no longer self-evident in 2020. So I will reiterate in the strongest of terms: do not, under any circumstances, inject, drink, or otherwise introduce bleach or any other disinfectant into your body. The corrosive substance will burn your insides, may permanently damage your organs, and could even kill you. It will also be incredibly painful the entire time you are dying.

The whole endeavour is like trying to get rid of a spider on your jacket by setting yourself on fire.

Trump’s comments have been roundly denounced by medical experts — as well as thousands of people online. Fortunately, it seems many were already aware that chugging a jug of Clorox is an astronomically terrible idea. Twitter users instantly reacted to the president’s highly uneducated and unqualified medical advice with widespread derision.

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Though Trump's suggestion of injecting bleach has gotten the most attention, his idea of using ultraviolet light is also extremely hazardous. There has been some research into the effect of ultraviolet light on the coronavirus when it is in the air or on surfaces, but using it to cure an infected person is a completely different, not at all analogous matter.

Depending on how powerful the light is and how long you're exposed to it, such treatment could burn you, cause cancer, or do absolutely nothing. It will not, however, cure you of COVID-19.

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Though the dangers of ingesting bleach may be obvious to many, Trump's careless speculation about potential coronavirus cures has previously had tragic consequences. In March an Arizona man died after drinking aquarium cleaner chloroquine phosphate, prompted by Trump's false claims that related compound hydroxychloroquine was a cure.

Please. For your own sake. Don't take medical advice from Donald Trump.