New York, April 27: The Poison Control Centre of New York City (NYC) recorded a spike in calls received on the day following US President Donald Trump's "inject-disinfectant" remarks on coronavirus. The department, in a statement, claimed that it recorded 30 cases from Thursday till 3pm (local time) on Friday. Dettol Issues Warning Statement After Donald Trump's Bizarre Suggestion.
The numbers were way higher than 13 cases recorded in the corresponding period last year. The jump in cases, according to critics, could be linked to a "bizarre" cure to coronavirus suggested by Trump -- which he later dismissed as "sarcasm".
Out of the 30 cases recorded following President's address, nine were related to those specifically about exposure to Lysol, 10 cases specifically about bleach and 11 cases about exposures to other household cleaners, said an official of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Trump, during the White House press briefing on Thursday, said disinfectants are capable of killing the virus within minutes. He added that it must be researched whether the disinfectants could be injected directly into the body to kill the virus causing COVID-19.
"Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside (the body)?", Trumps asked, adding that the disinfectant "knocks out the virus "in a minute".
"Because, you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs," Trump continued, apparently referring to disinfectant. "So it would be interesting to check that out."
Watch Trump Suggesting 'Inject-Disinfectant' Remedy
The manufacturers of Dettol and Lysol - the two leading disinfectant makers - issued a statement shortly after the President's address. The companies warned the users against injecting or ingesting the liquid cleaners inside their bodies, stating that it would cause harmful consequences.
"Under no circumstances should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route," said the statement issued by Reckitt Benckiser, the company manufacturing Lysol.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2020 12:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).