Lysol Owner Warns People Not to Inject Themselves with Bleach

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Robert Benckiser, the United Kingdom-based owner of Lysol, has warned individuals not to inject themselves with bleach after President Donald Trump suggested people could get an “injection” of the disinfectant.

“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),” a spokesperson for Benckiser said in a statement.

President Trump has been widely derided since yesterday’s press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.

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“I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” he said. “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’s statements naturally sent a ripple through the medical community. They also prompted the British government to issue a statement saying it would not consider his idea.

“We can only speak for the U.K. response and in relation to disinfectant I’m certainly not aware that is anything that is being recommended,” a spokesman said. “Our approach is driven by U.K. science and medical advice.”

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford also criticized Trump’s comments.

“There are people out there inevitably, who are likely to rely on the word of a president and they may act on what that person has said,” he said. “If I provide any advice to people in Wales it will always be because that advice has been thoroughly tested and comes through all the right processes and can be relied upon by people who are listening to me.”

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.