Another day, another (quite frankly) ludicrous load of word vomit from Donald Trump. The latest? The impeached president of the United States has suggested that scientists look into using household bleach or UV light as a way of beating coronavirus, by either injecting it into the body or passing a light through infected humans.
I mean, I only got a B in my science GCSE but even I know that shooting up Zoflora is more likely to... oh, I don't know, kill you than cure you.
To paint a better picture, Trump's comments came about during a press briefing that discussed new scientific findings which suggest heat and light could help to weaken coronavirus. Research also found that bleach is able to eradicate the virus in saliva or respiratory fluids in minutes.
"So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous... whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light," Trump suggested to White House doctors. "And I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it."
"I see the disinfectant where it 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?" he continued, before pointing to his head and saying, "I'm not a doctor. But I'm, like, a person that has a good you-know-what." You're definitely a something, hun... I know that much.
White House doctor Dr Deborah Birx responded to Trump's prompts by explaining that she hadn't heard of using "heat or light as a treatment".
Everyone's clicking on...
Now, other medical professionals have aired their rather hilarious reactions on Twitter.
Doctor and author of best-selling book, This Is Going To Hurt, Adam Kay sarcastically asked Trump to clarify the dosage required and suggested that he be the first to try the idea:
Dr Alex Gates, a GP, also had a few thoughts on the subject:
Another NHS GP, Dr Ellie Cannon, suggested that Trump got his ideas from watching cartoons and again, warned of the dangers of drinking bleach (to clarify: please do not drink bleach):
And finally, Dr Ranj Singh hammered home that there is no evidence that suggests drinking bleach is a good idea. "PLEASE DON'T DO THIS - IT MIGHT KILL YOU. America, I feel so sorry for you all. This man is an irresponsible idiot."
Cillit Bang = good for surfaces, bad for your internal organs. Noted.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
