Whatever you may think of the talents and leadership qualities of your country's head of government, every non-American should be reasonably happy. This is why...
US President Donald Trump has been rebuked by medical professionals after claiming that "emerging" research suggests disinfectants and sunlight might be able to be used as treatments and diminish the threat of the new coronavirus.
Mr Trump said at a White House briefing on Thursday that researchers were looking at the effects of disinfectants and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people, saying the virus "does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that".
There was immediate outcry from doctors and nurses, who swiftly explained the extreme danger of such an idea.
"Trump is absolutely wrong and irresponsible," Dr Eugene Gu, whose laboratory is involved in coronavirus testing, wrote on Twitter, adding "Clorox, Tide Pods and Lysol will kill coronavirus. No question about it. But if you are infected then the coronavirus is inside your cells. If you use any of those disinfectants to kill the coronavirus in your own cells then you'll die right along with the coronavirus."
John Balmes, a pulmonologist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, told Bloomberg News: "Inhaling chlorine bleach would be absolutely the worst thing for the lungs. The airway and lungs are not made to be exposed to even an aerosol of disinfectant. Not even a low dilution of bleach or isopropyl alcohol is safe. It's a totally ridiculous concept."
Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, added: “It is incomprehensible to me that a moron like this holds the highest office in the land and that there exist people stupid enough to think this is OK. I can’t believe that in 2020 I have to caution anyone listening to the president that injecting disinfectant could kill you.”
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