The manufacturer of Lysol has warned people not to consume its cleaning products after US President Donald Trump suggested its potential to treat coronavirus.
British manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Lysol and Dettol, issued a warning against using its products on the human body after President Trump suggested that injecting disinfectants can possibly protect people from coronavirus.
The company said it issued the warning following "recent speculation and social media activity." It pointed out that its products should only be "used as intended and in line with usage guidelines."
In a statement, Reckitt Benckiser explained: "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)."
"We have a responsibility in providing consumers with access to accurate, up-to-date information as advised by leading public health experts," the company added.
Backlash on Trump's comment
The company statement was released after Trump made remarks on Thursday on the use of disinfectants.
The US president said: "And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in one minute. Is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning ... it would be interesting to check that."
"It sounds interesting to me," Trump added.
Trump faces backlash over his statements as disinfectants are hazardous substances that even external exposure can be dangerous to the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Moreover, they can be poisonous if ingested.
His comments have been heavily criticized by doctors and have sparked massive online response. Hundreds of thousands of comments have been generated by the issue and it has caused well-known cleaning brands to trend on social media.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent at CNN, quickly disputed the statement. Dr. Gupta said: "He also said it needs to be studied. Actually, it doesn't. I mean we know the answer to this one."
He pointed out: "I think everybody would know that that would be dangerous and counter-productive."
Pulmonologist John Balmes said: "Inhaling chlorine bleach would be absolutely the worst thing for the lungs. Not even a low dilution of bleach or isopropyl alcohol is safe. It's a totally ridiculous concept."
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Dr. Stephen Hahn even advised against ingesting or injecting disinfectants. Hahn said: Â "I certainly wouldn't recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant."
Poisonings
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports of poisonings with cleaners and disinfectants had increased by over 20% in the first three months of 2020, compared to the previous year.
The agency noted that in poisoning calls from 2019 to 2020, bleaches accounted for the largest percentage of increase in cases among cleaning substances.
The CDC have recommended the use of soap and water or bleach to kill the virus. It also said that rubbing alcohol with at least 70% alcohol content will also kill it on surfaces while those with 60% can be used on hands.
