🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 103 (from laksa064)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa103.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.fox5dc.com/news/no-dont-inject-disinfectant-outcry-over-trumps-musing\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.fox5dc.com/news/no-dont-inject-disinfectant-outcry-over-trumps-musing\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/no-dont-inject-disinfectant-outcry-over-trumps-musing","crawl_time":1776103527,"first_indexed_time":1587771385,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,fox5dc!www,\/news\/no-dont-inject-disinfectant-outcry-over-trumps-musing s443","src_root_hash":"3516473267256779503","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"No, don't inject disinfectant: Outcry over Trump's musing | FOX 5 DC","meta_descriptions":["The maker of Lysol and another disinfectant says its products should not be used as an internal treatment for the coronavirus."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Updated\n \n      April 24, 2020 7:25pm EDT\nThe maker of Lysol and another disinfectant says its products should not be used as an internal treatment for the coronavirus.\nWASHINGTON (AP)\n-\nPresident Donald Trump's raising of unproven, even far-fetched ideas for fighting COVID-19 -- including his latest musing about injecting disinfectants into people -- triggered an outcry from health officials everywhere on Friday. It also highlighted his unconventional approach to the special responsibility that comes with speaking from the presidential pulpit.\nTrump readily admits he's not a doctor. Yet with the reported U.S. death toll from the virus topping 50,000, he continues to use the White House podium to promote untested drugs and float his own ideas for treatment as he tries to project optimism.\n“He’s like the family member around the dinner table that doesn’t have a grasp of what reality is and is willing to speak with confidence despite it,\" said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. He said Trump likes to provocatively push the boundaries because he thinks that appeals to his political supporters.\n“But in this case it’s the president of the United States and it’s dangerous,\" Zelizer said.\nRELATED:\nCoronavirusNOW.com\n, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates\nTrump's offhand comment Thursday wondering if disinfectants could be injected or ingested to fight COVID-10 got intense blowback from doctors and other health officials on Friday. It also prompted blunt warnings from the makers of popular commercial products.\n\"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),” said a statement from the parent of the company that makes Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser.\n“Bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances\" declared the Clorox Co.\nThe White House said the president's comments had been misrepresented by the media, and Trump said he had been speaking sarcastically. But a transcript of his remarks suggested otherwise.\nHe had noted at a Thursday briefing that research was underway into the effect disinfectants have on the virus and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people. “Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” Trump asked. “Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.”\nDon't try that at home, others quickly warned.\nThe U.S. Surgeon General’s office tweeted a reminder to all Americans: “PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment\/ medication to yourself or a loved one.\"\nDemocrats leapt to respond.\n“It’s sad when you have to correct the president of the United States on a matter of science and health,\" said New York Mayor Bill De Blasio.\"\nSome Republicans, too.\nIndiana Sen. Mike Braun, who campaigned as a strong Trump supporter in 2018, said, “Sometimes when you’re not clear with how you say things, especially when you are at a high level where people watch, its best probably not to venture into areas that you may not know a lot about.\"\nTrump, whose daily COVID briefings often stretch 90 minutes or longer, abruptly ended Friday’s appearance after only about 20 minutes and without answering questions. He did take questions earlier.\nRELATED: \nCoronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA\nMany Americans apparently were taking Trump's comments as more than sarcastic.\nAfter receiving more than 100 calls to its hotline, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency tweeted this alert: “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.”\nDr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped expose the Flint, Michigan, contaminated water scandal in 2015, said she routinely gives out the Poison Control hotline number during pediatric visits. In light of the president's comments, “It seems the entire country needs it now,” she tweeted. \"The phone number to Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.'”\nPresident Donald Trump arrives for the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)\nSpeaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump insisted his comments were misconstrued. “I was asking the question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen,” he said.\nHowever, “People expect presidents to speak with authority all the time,” said Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis. “You can’t pick and choose the times as president when you are going to act presidential ... and then say to the public, ’You’re supposed to understand I was being sarcastic.'\"\nTrump’s imprecise language, hyperbole and outright mistruths in public statements throughout his presidency have been without precedent, said Frantz, who has researched Republican presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan.\nLysol bottles on a store shelf, plastic spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner. The product is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa\/LightRocket via Getty Images)\n”Even before Trump attempted to walk back his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany sought to brush them off as the president faced a deluge of criticism.\n“President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,” McEnany said.\nDr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, defended Trump as merely thinking aloud about what he was hearing at the briefing.\n“He was riffing,” said Jason Miller, who served as communications director to Trump’s 2016 campaign. “He wasn’t, saying, ‘Go and pump Lysol into your veins.’ But when you riff from the podium, it allows other people to define what your intent was.”\nDemocrats were less forgiving.\n\"I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach,\" tweeted Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee.\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of suggesting that people “inject Lysol into their lungs.”\nActually, the idea to ingest a type of disinfectant has a history.\nDuring the influenza pandemic of 1918 — the year that Trump’s paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump, died of the flu — doctors gave patients a rash of unusual treatments to treat their symptoms, according to medical journals at the time.\nThe president received heavy criticism after claiming that injecting disinfectants could help treat COVID-19.\nOne doctor advocated a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder be sniffed up the nose to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, and drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to author Laura Spinney, who wrote a 2017 book on the pandemic entitled “Pale Rider, The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.”\nThursday wasn't the first time the president has talked up prospects for new therapies or offered rosy timelines for the development of a vaccine. He has repeatedly promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential “game changer” in the fight against the virus.\nLast month, the FDA authorized limited use of the malaria drug for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who aren’t enrolled in ongoing research. Studies have found reports of serious side effects, including dangerous irregular heart rhythms, and deaths among patients.\nDespite those negative results, Trump said Thursday he's read good reports, too. \"We’ll see what happens,” he said.\nOn Friday, however, the Food and Drug Administration warned that people should not take chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside of a hospital or formal clinical trial, citing reports of “serious heart rhythm problems.”\nThe White House also has pitched \"emerging” research on the benefits of sunlight and humidity in diminishing the threat of the virus. Past studies have not found good evidence that the warmer temperatures and higher humidity of spring and summer will help tamp down the spread of the virus.\nUltraviolet light is used for disinfecting masks and other medical equipment but has not been shown to be safe or effective for use on people to try to eliminate a virus, said Dr. Rais Vohra, an emergency medicine doctor at the Fresno branch of the University of California, San Francisco.\n“For inanimate objects, it does make sense,” but exposing yourself to ultraviolet light outside or from other sources can raise the risk of skin cancer, he said.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Karen Matthews in New York, Colleen Long, Jill Colvin and Darlene Superville in Washington, Ed White in Detroit and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.","attrs_markdown":"[![FOX 5 DC](https:\/\/static.foxtv.com\/static\/orion\/img\/core\/s\/logos\/fts-washington-dc-a.svg) ![FOX 5 DC](https:\/\/static.foxtv.com\/static\/orion\/img\/core\/s\/logos\/fts-washington-dc-b.svg)](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/ \"FOX 5 DC — Local News & Weather\")\n\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/live)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/weather)\n- [Contests](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/contests)\n- [Things to Do](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/lifestyle\/things-to-do-dc-md-va)\n- [More](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/no-dont-inject-disinfectant-outcry-over-trumps-musing)\n\n[Watch Live](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/live)\n\n[Expand \/ Collapse search](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/no-dont-inject-disinfectant-outcry-over-trumps-musing)\n\n[☰](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/no-dont-inject-disinfectant-outcry-over-trumps-musing)\n\n###### [News](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news)\n- [Washington, D.C.](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/us\/dc)\n- [Virginia](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/us\/va)\n- [Maryland](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/us\/md)\n- [24\/7 DC LIVE: News & Weather](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/shows\/24-7-dc-live-news-weather-from-fox-5)\n- [National News](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/national-news)\n- [Crime](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/crime-publicsafety)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/sports)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/business)\n- [Consumer](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/consumer)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/health)\n- [Personal Finance](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/business\/personal-finance)\n- [FOX News Sunday](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/fox-news-sunday-with-shannon-bream)\n- [Top Stories](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/top-stories)\n\n###### [Weather](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/weather)\n- [Forecast](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/weather)\n- [FOX 5 Skycams](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/cameras)\n- [Traffic](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/traffic)\n- [School Closings & Delays](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/closings)\n- [FOX 5 Weather App](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/apps)\n- [FOX Weather](https:\/\/foxweather.com\/)\n\n###### [Regional News](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/local-news)\n- [New York News - FOX 5 NY](https:\/\/www.fox5ny.com\/)\n- [Philadelphia News - FOX 29 Philadelphia](https:\/\/www.fox29.com\/)\n- [New Jersey News - My9NJ](https:\/\/www.my9nj.com\/)\n\n###### [Politics](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/tag\/politics)\n- [D.C. 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It also highlighted his unconventional approach to the special responsibility that comes with speaking from the presidential pulpit.\n\nTrump readily admits he's not a doctor. Yet with the reported U.S. death toll from the virus topping 50,000, he continues to use the White House podium to promote untested drugs and float his own ideas for treatment as he tries to project optimism.\n\n“He’s like the family member around the dinner table that doesn’t have a grasp of what reality is and is willing to speak with confidence despite it,\" said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. He said Trump likes to provocatively push the boundaries because he thinks that appeals to his political supporters.\n\n“But in this case it’s the president of the United States and it’s dangerous,\" Zelizer said.\n\n**RELATED: [CoronavirusNOW.com](https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=http%3A%2F%2FCoronavirusNOW.com)[, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates](https:\/\/www.coronavirusnow.com\/)**\n\nTrump's offhand comment Thursday wondering if disinfectants could be injected or ingested to fight COVID-10 got intense blowback from doctors and other health officials on Friday. It also prompted blunt warnings from the makers of popular commercial products.\n\n\"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),” said a statement from the parent of the company that makes Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser.\n\n“Bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances\" declared the Clorox Co.\n\nThe White House said the president's comments had been misrepresented by the media, and Trump said he had been speaking sarcastically. But a transcript of his remarks suggested otherwise.\n\nHe had noted at a Thursday briefing that research was underway into the effect disinfectants have on the virus and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people. “Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” Trump asked. “Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.”\n\nDon't try that at home, others quickly warned.\n\nThe U.S. Surgeon General’s office tweeted a reminder to all Americans: “PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment\/ medication to yourself or a loved one.\"\n\nDemocrats leapt to respond.\n\n“It’s sad when you have to correct the president of the United States on a matter of science and health,\" said New York Mayor Bill De Blasio.\"\n\nSome Republicans, too.\n\nIndiana Sen. Mike Braun, who campaigned as a strong Trump supporter in 2018, said, “Sometimes when you’re not clear with how you say things, especially when you are at a high level where people watch, its best probably not to venture into areas that you may not know a lot about.\"\n\nTrump, whose daily COVID briefings often stretch 90 minutes or longer, abruptly ended Friday’s appearance after only about 20 minutes and without answering questions. He did take questions earlier.\n\n**RELATED: [Coronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA](https:\/\/www.fox2detroit.com\/news\/coronavirus-cleaners-these-products-will-kill-covid-19-according-to-the-epa)**\n\nMany Americans apparently were taking Trump's comments as more than sarcastic.\n\nAfter receiving more than 100 calls to its hotline, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency tweeted this alert: “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.”\n\nDr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped expose the Flint, Michigan, contaminated water scandal in 2015, said she routinely gives out the Poison Control hotline number during pediatric visits. In light of the president's comments, “It seems the entire country needs it now,” she tweeted. \"The phone number to Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.'”\n\n![e7e87395-The White House Holds Daily Briefing On Coronavirus Pandemic](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/932\/524\/GettyImages-1210843125.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)\n\nPresident Donald Trump arrives for the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)\n\nSpeaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump insisted his comments were misconstrued. “I was asking the question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen,” he said.\n\nHowever, “People expect presidents to speak with authority all the time,” said Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis. “You can’t pick and choose the times as president when you are going to act presidential ... and then say to the public, ’You’re supposed to understand I was being sarcastic.'\"\n\nTrump’s imprecise language, hyperbole and outright mistruths in public statements throughout his presidency have been without precedent, said Frantz, who has researched Republican presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan.\n\n![GettyImages-860371626.jpg](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/932\/524\/GettyImages-860371626.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)\n\nLysol bottles on a store shelf, plastic spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner. The product is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa\/LightRocket via Getty Images)\n\n”Even before Trump attempted to walk back his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany sought to brush them off as the president faced a deluge of criticism.\n\n“President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,” McEnany said.\n\nDr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, defended Trump as merely thinking aloud about what he was hearing at the briefing.\n\n“He was riffing,” said Jason Miller, who served as communications director to Trump’s 2016 campaign. “He wasn’t, saying, ‘Go and pump Lysol into your veins.’ But when you riff from the podium, it allows other people to define what your intent was.”\n\nDemocrats were less forgiving.\n\n\"I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach,\" tweeted Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee.\n\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of suggesting that people “inject Lysol into their lungs.”\n\nActually, the idea to ingest a type of disinfectant has a history.\n\nDuring the influenza pandemic of 1918 — the year that Trump’s paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump, died of the flu — doctors gave patients a rash of unusual treatments to treat their symptoms, according to medical journals at the time.\n\n![Trump suggests comments about injecting disinfectants were sarcastic](https:\/\/static.foxtv.com\/www.foxtv.com\/content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/470748B8242F441FB70B970017C2B868_3.jpg)\n\nThe president received heavy criticism after claiming that injecting disinfectants could help treat COVID-19.\n\nOne doctor advocated a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder be sniffed up the nose to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, and drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to author Laura Spinney, who wrote a 2017 book on the pandemic entitled “Pale Rider, The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.”\n\nThursday wasn't the first time the president has talked up prospects for new therapies or offered rosy timelines for the development of a vaccine. He has repeatedly promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential “game changer” in the fight against the virus.\n\nLast month, the FDA authorized limited use of the malaria drug for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who aren’t enrolled in ongoing research. Studies have found reports of serious side effects, including dangerous irregular heart rhythms, and deaths among patients.\n\nDespite those negative results, Trump said Thursday he's read good reports, too. \"We’ll see what happens,” he said.\n\nOn Friday, however, the Food and Drug Administration warned that people should not take chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside of a hospital or formal clinical trial, citing reports of “serious heart rhythm problems.”\n\nThe White House also has pitched \"emerging” research on the benefits of sunlight and humidity in diminishing the threat of the virus. Past studies have not found good evidence that the warmer temperatures and higher humidity of spring and summer will help tamp down the spread of the virus.\n\nUltraviolet light is used for disinfecting masks and other medical equipment but has not been shown to be safe or effective for use on people to try to eliminate a virus, said Dr. Rais Vohra, an emergency medicine doctor at the Fresno branch of the University of California, San Francisco.\n\n“For inanimate objects, it does make sense,” but exposing yourself to ultraviolet light outside or from other sources can raise the risk of skin cancer, he said.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\n\nAssociated Press writers Karen Matthews in New York, Colleen Long, Jill Colvin and Darlene Superville in Washington, Ed White in Detroit and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.\n\n##\n[![](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/300\/169\/fl-300x300-skyline-washington_dc.png?ve=1&tl=1) ![](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0\/0\/fl-300x300-skyline-washington_dc.png?ve=1&tl=1,%20https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0\/0\/fl-300x300-skyline-washington_dc.png?ve=1&tl=1%202x)](https:\/\/foxlocal.onelink.me\/6abq\/qujity5v)\n\n### Trending\n[![IRS tax refund April 2026, stimulus payment, direct deposit relief, tariff dividend fact check](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0\/100\/tax.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) ![IRS tax refund April 2026, stimulus payment, direct deposit relief, tariff dividend fact check](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0\/100\/tax.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/irs-tax-refund-april-2026-stimulus-payment-direct-deposit-relief-tariff-dividend-fact-check)\n\n#### [IRS tax refund April 2026, stimulus payment, direct deposit relief, tariff dividend fact check](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/irs-tax-refund-april-2026-stimulus-payment-direct-deposit-relief-tariff-dividend-fact-check)\n\n[![13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/stevensonjohnsonramos.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) ![13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/stevensonjohnsonramos.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/13-arrested-drug-trafficking-investigation-across-delaware-maryland-virginia)\n\n#### [13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/13-arrested-drug-trafficking-investigation-across-delaware-maryland-virginia)\n\n[![Virginia civil rights leaders warn of misleading vote mailers](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/vote.png?ve=1&tl=1) ![Virginia civil rights leaders warn of misleading vote mailers](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/vote.png?ve=1&tl=1)](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/virginia-civil-rights-leaders-warn-misleading-vote-mailers)\n\n#### [Virginia civil rights leaders warn of misleading vote mailers](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/virginia-civil-rights-leaders-warn-misleading-vote-mailers)\n\n[![Route 50 construction to cause major traffic delays in Fairfax](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/screenshot-2026-04-10-at-8.34.56-am.png?ve=1&tl=1) ![Route 50 construction to cause major traffic delays in Fairfax](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/screenshot-2026-04-10-at-8.34.56-am.png?ve=1&tl=1)](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/route-50-construction-cause-major-traffic-delays-fairfax)\n\n#### [Route 50 construction to cause major traffic delays in Fairfax](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/route-50-construction-cause-major-traffic-delays-fairfax)\n\n[![Gaithersburg man killed, car found crashed miles away: police](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/video-63-e1775864618100.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) ![Gaithersburg man killed, car found crashed miles away: police](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0\/100\/video-63-e1775864618100.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)](https:\/\/www.fox5dc.com\/news\/gaithersburg-man-killed-car-found-crashed-miles-away)\n\n#### [Gaithersburg man killed, car found crashed miles away: 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It also highlighted his unconventional approach to the special responsibility that comes with speaking from the presidential pulpit.\n\nTrump readily admits he's not a doctor. Yet with the reported U.S. death toll from the virus topping 50,000, he continues to use the White House podium to promote untested drugs and float his own ideas for treatment as he tries to project optimism.\n\n“He’s like the family member around the dinner table that doesn’t have a grasp of what reality is and is willing to speak with confidence despite it,\" said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. He said Trump likes to provocatively push the boundaries because he thinks that appeals to his political supporters.\n\n“But in this case it’s the president of the United States and it’s dangerous,\" Zelizer said.\n\n**RELATED: [CoronavirusNOW.com](https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=http%3A%2F%2FCoronavirusNOW.com)[, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates](https:\/\/www.coronavirusnow.com\/)**\n\nTrump's offhand comment Thursday wondering if disinfectants could be injected or ingested to fight COVID-10 got intense blowback from doctors and other health officials on Friday. It also prompted blunt warnings from the makers of popular commercial products.\n\n\"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),” said a statement from the parent of the company that makes Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser.\n\n“Bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances\" declared the Clorox Co.\n\nThe White House said the president's comments had been misrepresented by the media, and Trump said he had been speaking sarcastically. But a transcript of his remarks suggested otherwise.\n\nHe had noted at a Thursday briefing that research was underway into the effect disinfectants have on the virus and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people. “Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” Trump asked. “Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.”\n\nDon't try that at home, others quickly warned.\n\nThe U.S. Surgeon General’s office tweeted a reminder to all Americans: “PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment\/ medication to yourself or a loved one.\"\n\nDemocrats leapt to respond.\n\n“It’s sad when you have to correct the president of the United States on a matter of science and health,\" said New York Mayor Bill De Blasio.\"\n\nSome Republicans, too.\n\nIndiana Sen. Mike Braun, who campaigned as a strong Trump supporter in 2018, said, “Sometimes when you’re not clear with how you say things, especially when you are at a high level where people watch, its best probably not to venture into areas that you may not know a lot about.\"\n\nTrump, whose daily COVID briefings often stretch 90 minutes or longer, abruptly ended Friday’s appearance after only about 20 minutes and without answering questions. He did take questions earlier.\n\n**RELATED: [Coronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA](https:\/\/www.fox2detroit.com\/news\/coronavirus-cleaners-these-products-will-kill-covid-19-according-to-the-epa)**\n\nMany Americans apparently were taking Trump's comments as more than sarcastic.\n\nAfter receiving more than 100 calls to its hotline, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency tweeted this alert: “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.”\n\nDr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped expose the Flint, Michigan, contaminated water scandal in 2015, said she routinely gives out the Poison Control hotline number during pediatric visits. In light of the president's comments, “It seems the entire country needs it now,” she tweeted. \"The phone number to Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.'”\n\n![e7e87395-The White House Holds Daily Briefing On Coronavirus Pandemic](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/932\/524\/GettyImages-1210843125.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)\n\nPresident Donald Trump arrives for the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)\n\nSpeaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump insisted his comments were misconstrued. “I was asking the question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen,” he said.\n\nHowever, “People expect presidents to speak with authority all the time,” said Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis. “You can’t pick and choose the times as president when you are going to act presidential ... and then say to the public, ’You’re supposed to understand I was being sarcastic.'\"\n\nTrump’s imprecise language, hyperbole and outright mistruths in public statements throughout his presidency have been without precedent, said Frantz, who has researched Republican presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan.\n\n![GettyImages-860371626.jpg](https:\/\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox5dc.com\/www.fox5dc.com\/content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/932\/524\/GettyImages-860371626.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)\n\nLysol bottles on a store shelf, plastic spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner. The product is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa\/LightRocket via Getty Images)\n\n”Even before Trump attempted to walk back his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany sought to brush them off as the president faced a deluge of criticism.\n\n“President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,” McEnany said.\n\nDr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, defended Trump as merely thinking aloud about what he was hearing at the briefing.\n\n“He was riffing,” said Jason Miller, who served as communications director to Trump’s 2016 campaign. “He wasn’t, saying, ‘Go and pump Lysol into your veins.’ But when you riff from the podium, it allows other people to define what your intent was.”\n\nDemocrats were less forgiving.\n\n\"I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach,\" tweeted Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee.\n\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of suggesting that people “inject Lysol into their lungs.”\n\nActually, the idea to ingest a type of disinfectant has a history.\n\nDuring the influenza pandemic of 1918 — the year that Trump’s paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump, died of the flu — doctors gave patients a rash of unusual treatments to treat their symptoms, according to medical journals at the time.\n\n![Trump suggests comments about injecting disinfectants were sarcastic](https:\/\/static.foxtv.com\/www.foxtv.com\/content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/470748B8242F441FB70B970017C2B868_3.jpg)\n\nThe president received heavy criticism after claiming that injecting disinfectants could help treat COVID-19.\n\nOne doctor advocated a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder be sniffed up the nose to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, and drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to author Laura Spinney, who wrote a 2017 book on the pandemic entitled “Pale Rider, The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.”\n\nThursday wasn't the first time the president has talked up prospects for new therapies or offered rosy timelines for the development of a vaccine. He has repeatedly promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential “game changer” in the fight against the virus.\n\nLast month, the FDA authorized limited use of the malaria drug for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who aren’t enrolled in ongoing research. Studies have found reports of serious side effects, including dangerous irregular heart rhythms, and deaths among patients.\n\nDespite those negative results, Trump said Thursday he's read good reports, too. \"We’ll see what happens,” he said.\n\nOn Friday, however, the Food and Drug Administration warned that people should not take chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside of a hospital or formal clinical trial, citing reports of “serious heart rhythm problems.”\n\nThe White House also has pitched \"emerging” research on the benefits of sunlight and humidity in diminishing the threat of the virus. Past studies have not found good evidence that the warmer temperatures and higher humidity of spring and summer will help tamp down the spread of the virus.\n\nUltraviolet light is used for disinfecting masks and other medical equipment but has not been shown to be safe or effective for use on people to try to eliminate a virus, said Dr. Rais Vohra, an emergency medicine doctor at the Fresno branch of the University of California, San Francisco.\n\n“For inanimate objects, it does make sense,” but exposing yourself to ultraviolet light outside or from other sources can raise the risk of skin cancer, he said.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\n\nAssociated Press writers Karen Matthews in New York, Colleen Long, Jill Colvin and Darlene Superville in Washington, Ed White in Detroit and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	No, don't inject disinfectant: Outcry over Trump's musing \| FOX 5 DC
Meta Description	The maker of Lysol and another disinfectant says its products should not be used as an internal treatment for the coronavirus.
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Boilerpipe Text	Updated April 24, 2020 7:25pm EDT The maker of Lysol and another disinfectant says its products should not be used as an internal treatment for the coronavirus. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's raising of unproven, even far-fetched ideas for fighting COVID-19 -- including his latest musing about injecting disinfectants into people -- triggered an outcry from health officials everywhere on Friday. It also highlighted his unconventional approach to the special responsibility that comes with speaking from the presidential pulpit. Trump readily admits he's not a doctor. Yet with the reported U.S. death toll from the virus topping 50,000, he continues to use the White House podium to promote untested drugs and float his own ideas for treatment as he tries to project optimism. “He’s like the family member around the dinner table that doesn’t have a grasp of what reality is and is willing to speak with confidence despite it," said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. He said Trump likes to provocatively push the boundaries because he thinks that appeals to his political supporters. “But in this case it’s the president of the United States and it’s dangerous," Zelizer said. RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com , FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates Trump's offhand comment Thursday wondering if disinfectants could be injected or ingested to fight COVID-10 got intense blowback from doctors and other health officials on Friday. It also prompted blunt warnings from the makers of popular commercial 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),” said a statement from the parent of the company that makes Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser. “Bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances" declared the Clorox Co. The White House said the president's comments had been misrepresented by the media, and Trump said he had been speaking sarcastically. But a transcript of his remarks suggested otherwise. He had noted at a Thursday briefing that research was underway into the effect disinfectants have on the virus and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people. “Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” Trump asked. “Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.” Don't try that at home, others quickly warned. The U.S. Surgeon General’s office tweeted a reminder to all Americans: “PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/ medication to yourself or a loved one." Democrats leapt to respond. “It’s sad when you have to correct the president of the United States on a matter of science and health," said New York Mayor Bill De Blasio." Some Republicans, too. Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who campaigned as a strong Trump supporter in 2018, said, “Sometimes when you’re not clear with how you say things, especially when you are at a high level where people watch, its best probably not to venture into areas that you may not know a lot about." Trump, whose daily COVID briefings often stretch 90 minutes or longer, abruptly ended Friday’s appearance after only about 20 minutes and without answering questions. He did take questions earlier. RELATED: Coronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA Many Americans apparently were taking Trump's comments as more than sarcastic. After receiving more than 100 calls to its hotline, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency tweeted this alert: “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.” Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped expose the Flint, Michigan, contaminated water scandal in 2015, said she routinely gives out the Poison Control hotline number during pediatric visits. In light of the president's comments, “It seems the entire country needs it now,” she tweeted. "The phone number to Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.'” President Donald Trump arrives for the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump insisted his comments were misconstrued. “I was asking the question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen,” he said. However, “People expect presidents to speak with authority all the time,” said Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis. “You can’t pick and choose the times as president when you are going to act presidential ... and then say to the public, ’You’re supposed to understand I was being sarcastic.'" Trump’s imprecise language, hyperbole and outright mistruths in public statements throughout his presidency have been without precedent, said Frantz, who has researched Republican presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan. Lysol bottles on a store shelf, plastic spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner. The product is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images) ”Even before Trump attempted to walk back his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany sought to brush them off as the president faced a deluge of criticism. “President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,” McEnany said. Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, defended Trump as merely thinking aloud about what he was hearing at the briefing. “He was riffing,” said Jason Miller, who served as communications director to Trump’s 2016 campaign. “He wasn’t, saying, ‘Go and pump Lysol into your veins.’ But when you riff from the podium, it allows other people to define what your intent was.” Democrats were less forgiving. "I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach," tweeted Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of suggesting that people “inject Lysol into their lungs.” Actually, the idea to ingest a type of disinfectant has a history. During the influenza pandemic of 1918 — the year that Trump’s paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump, died of the flu — doctors gave patients a rash of unusual treatments to treat their symptoms, according to medical journals at the time. The president received heavy criticism after claiming that injecting disinfectants could help treat COVID-19. One doctor advocated a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder be sniffed up the nose to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, and drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to author Laura Spinney, who wrote a 2017 book on the pandemic entitled “Pale Rider, The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.” Thursday wasn't the first time the president has talked up prospects for new therapies or offered rosy timelines for the development of a vaccine. He has repeatedly promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential “game changer” in the fight against the virus. Last month, the FDA authorized limited use of the malaria drug for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who aren’t enrolled in ongoing research. Studies have found reports of serious side effects, including dangerous irregular heart rhythms, and deaths among patients. Despite those negative results, Trump said Thursday he's read good reports, too. "We’ll see what happens,” he said. On Friday, however, the Food and Drug Administration warned that people should not take chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside of a hospital or formal clinical trial, citing reports of “serious heart rhythm problems.” The White House also has pitched "emerging” research on the benefits of sunlight and humidity in diminishing the threat of the virus. Past studies have not found good evidence that the warmer temperatures and higher humidity of spring and summer will help tamp down the spread of the virus. Ultraviolet light is used for disinfecting masks and other medical equipment but has not been shown to be safe or effective for use on people to try to eliminate a virus, said Dr. Rais Vohra, an emergency medicine doctor at the Fresno branch of the University of California, San Francisco. “For inanimate objects, it does make sense,” but exposing yourself to ultraviolet light outside or from other sources can raise the risk of skin cancer, he said. ___ Associated Press writers Karen Matthews in New York, Colleen Long, Jill Colvin and Darlene Superville in Washington, Ed White in Detroit and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's raising of unproven, even far-fetched ideas for fighting COVID-19 -- including his latest musing about injecting disinfectants into people -- triggered an outcry from health officials everywhere on Friday. It also highlighted his unconventional approach to the special responsibility that comes with speaking from the presidential pulpit. Trump readily admits he's not a doctor. Yet with the reported U.S. death toll from the virus topping 50,000, he continues to use the White House podium to promote untested drugs and float his own ideas for treatment as he tries to project optimism. “He’s like the family member around the dinner table that doesn’t have a grasp of what reality is and is willing to speak with confidence despite it," said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. He said Trump likes to provocatively push the boundaries because he thinks that appeals to his political supporters. “But in this case it’s the president of the United States and it’s dangerous," Zelizer said. RELATED: [CoronavirusNOW.com](https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2FCoronavirusNOW.com)[, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates](https://www.coronavirusnow.com/) Trump's offhand comment Thursday wondering if disinfectants could be injected or ingested to fight COVID-10 got intense blowback from doctors and other health officials on Friday. It also prompted blunt warnings from the makers of popular commercial 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),” said a statement from the parent of the company that makes Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser. “Bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances" declared the Clorox Co. The White House said the president's comments had been misrepresented by the media, and Trump said he had been speaking sarcastically. But a transcript of his remarks suggested otherwise. He had noted at a Thursday briefing that research was underway into the effect disinfectants have on the virus and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people. “Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” Trump asked. “Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.” Don't try that at home, others quickly warned. The U.S. Surgeon General’s office tweeted a reminder to all Americans: “PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/ medication to yourself or a loved one." Democrats leapt to respond. “It’s sad when you have to correct the president of the United States on a matter of science and health," said New York Mayor Bill De Blasio." Some Republicans, too. Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who campaigned as a strong Trump supporter in 2018, said, “Sometimes when you’re not clear with how you say things, especially when you are at a high level where people watch, its best probably not to venture into areas that you may not know a lot about." Trump, whose daily COVID briefings often stretch 90 minutes or longer, abruptly ended Friday’s appearance after only about 20 minutes and without answering questions. He did take questions earlier. RELATED: [Coronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA](https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/coronavirus-cleaners-these-products-will-kill-covid-19-according-to-the-epa) Many Americans apparently were taking Trump's comments as more than sarcastic. After receiving more than 100 calls to its hotline, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency tweeted this alert: “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.” Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped expose the Flint, Michigan, contaminated water scandal in 2015, said she routinely gives out the Poison Control hotline number during pediatric visits. In light of the president's comments, “It seems the entire country needs it now,” she tweeted. "The phone number to Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.'” ![e7e87395-The White House Holds Daily Briefing On Coronavirus Pandemic](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2020/04/932/524/GettyImages-1210843125.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) President Donald Trump arrives for the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump insisted his comments were misconstrued. “I was asking the question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen,” he said. However, “People expect presidents to speak with authority all the time,” said Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis. “You can’t pick and choose the times as president when you are going to act presidential ... and then say to the public, ’You’re supposed to understand I was being sarcastic.'" Trump’s imprecise language, hyperbole and outright mistruths in public statements throughout his presidency have been without precedent, said Frantz, who has researched Republican presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan. ![GettyImages-860371626.jpg](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2020/04/932/524/GettyImages-860371626.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) Lysol bottles on a store shelf, plastic spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner. The product is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images) ”Even before Trump attempted to walk back his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany sought to brush them off as the president faced a deluge of criticism. “President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,” McEnany said. Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, defended Trump as merely thinking aloud about what he was hearing at the briefing. “He was riffing,” said Jason Miller, who served as communications director to Trump’s 2016 campaign. “He wasn’t, saying, ‘Go and pump Lysol into your veins.’ But when you riff from the podium, it allows other people to define what your intent was.” Democrats were less forgiving. "I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach," tweeted Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of suggesting that people “inject Lysol into their lungs.” Actually, the idea to ingest a type of disinfectant has a history. During the influenza pandemic of 1918 — the year that Trump’s paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump, died of the flu — doctors gave patients a rash of unusual treatments to treat their symptoms, according to medical journals at the time. ![Trump suggests comments about injecting disinfectants were sarcastic](https://static.foxtv.com/www.foxtv.com/content/uploads/2020/04/470748B8242F441FB70B970017C2B868_3.jpg) The president received heavy criticism after claiming that injecting disinfectants could help treat COVID-19. One doctor advocated a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder be sniffed up the nose to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, and drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to author Laura Spinney, who wrote a 2017 book on the pandemic entitled “Pale Rider, The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.” Thursday wasn't the first time the president has talked up prospects for new therapies or offered rosy timelines for the development of a vaccine. He has repeatedly promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential “game changer” in the fight against the virus. Last month, the FDA authorized limited use of the malaria drug for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who aren’t enrolled in ongoing research. Studies have found reports of serious side effects, including dangerous irregular heart rhythms, and deaths among patients. Despite those negative results, Trump said Thursday he's read good reports, too. "We’ll see what happens,” he said. On Friday, however, the Food and Drug Administration warned that people should not take chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside of a hospital or formal clinical trial, citing reports of “serious heart rhythm problems.” The White House also has pitched "emerging” research on the benefits of sunlight and humidity in diminishing the threat of the virus. Past studies have not found good evidence that the warmer temperatures and higher humidity of spring and summer will help tamp down the spread of the virus. Ultraviolet light is used for disinfecting masks and other medical equipment but has not been shown to be safe or effective for use on people to try to eliminate a virus, said Dr. Rais Vohra, an emergency medicine doctor at the Fresno branch of the University of California, San Francisco. “For inanimate objects, it does make sense,” but exposing yourself to ultraviolet light outside or from other sources can raise the risk of skin cancer, he said. \_\_\_ Associated Press writers Karen Matthews in New York, Colleen Long, Jill Colvin and Darlene Superville in Washington, Ed White in Detroit and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report. ## [![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2024/10/300/169/fl-300x300-skyline-washington_dc.png?ve=1&tl=1) ![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2024/10/0/0/fl-300x300-skyline-washington_dc.png?ve=1&tl=1,%20https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2024/10/0/0/fl-300x300-skyline-washington_dc.png?ve=1&tl=1%202x)](https://foxlocal.onelink.me/6abq/qujity5v) ### Trending [![IRS tax refund April 2026, stimulus payment, direct deposit relief, tariff dividend fact check](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2022/10/0/100/tax.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) ![IRS tax refund April 2026, stimulus payment, direct deposit relief, tariff dividend fact check](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2022/10/0/100/tax.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/irs-tax-refund-april-2026-stimulus-payment-direct-deposit-relief-tariff-dividend-fact-check) #### [IRS tax refund April 2026, stimulus payment, direct deposit relief, tariff dividend fact check](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/irs-tax-refund-april-2026-stimulus-payment-direct-deposit-relief-tariff-dividend-fact-check) [![13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/stevensonjohnsonramos.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) ![13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/stevensonjohnsonramos.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/13-arrested-drug-trafficking-investigation-across-delaware-maryland-virginia) #### [13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/13-arrested-drug-trafficking-investigation-across-delaware-maryland-virginia) [![Virginia civil rights leaders warn of misleading vote mailers](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/vote.png?ve=1&tl=1) ![Virginia civil rights leaders warn of misleading vote mailers](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/vote.png?ve=1&tl=1)](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/virginia-civil-rights-leaders-warn-misleading-vote-mailers) #### [Virginia civil rights leaders warn of misleading vote mailers](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/virginia-civil-rights-leaders-warn-misleading-vote-mailers) [![Route 50 construction to cause major traffic delays in Fairfax](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/screenshot-2026-04-10-at-8.34.56-am.png?ve=1&tl=1) ![Route 50 construction to cause major traffic delays in Fairfax](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/screenshot-2026-04-10-at-8.34.56-am.png?ve=1&tl=1)](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/route-50-construction-cause-major-traffic-delays-fairfax) #### [Route 50 construction to cause major traffic delays in Fairfax](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/route-50-construction-cause-major-traffic-delays-fairfax) [![Gaithersburg man killed, car found crashed miles away: police](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/video-63-e1775864618100.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) ![Gaithersburg man killed, car found crashed miles away: police](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2026/04/0/100/video-63-e1775864618100.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/gaithersburg-man-killed-car-found-crashed-miles-away) #### [Gaithersburg man killed, car found crashed miles away: police](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/gaithersburg-man-killed-car-found-crashed-miles-away) ## Daily Newsletter All the news you need to know, every day By clicking Sign Up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the [Privacy Policy](https://www.fox.com/privacy-policy) and [Terms of Service](https://www.foxlocal.com/terms-of-use/index.html). ###### [News](https://www.fox5dc.com/news) - 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Readable Markdown	Updated April 24, 2020 7:25pm EDT ![Don’t inject disinfectants, Lysol warns](https://static.foxtv.com/www.foxtv.com/content/uploads/2020/04/5D7338D6B65B4733BD5ECA93C752E446.jpg) The maker of Lysol and another disinfectant says its products should not be used as an internal treatment for the coronavirus. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's raising of unproven, even far-fetched ideas for fighting COVID-19 -- including his latest musing about injecting disinfectants into people -- triggered an outcry from health officials everywhere on Friday. It also highlighted his unconventional approach to the special responsibility that comes with speaking from the presidential pulpit. Trump readily admits he's not a doctor. Yet with the reported U.S. death toll from the virus topping 50,000, he continues to use the White House podium to promote untested drugs and float his own ideas for treatment as he tries to project optimism. “He’s like the family member around the dinner table that doesn’t have a grasp of what reality is and is willing to speak with confidence despite it," said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. He said Trump likes to provocatively push the boundaries because he thinks that appeals to his political supporters. “But in this case it’s the president of the United States and it’s dangerous," Zelizer said. RELATED: [CoronavirusNOW.com](https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2FCoronavirusNOW.com)[, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates](https://www.coronavirusnow.com/) Trump's offhand comment Thursday wondering if disinfectants could be injected or ingested to fight COVID-10 got intense blowback from doctors and other health officials on Friday. It also prompted blunt warnings from the makers of popular commercial 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),” said a statement from the parent of the company that makes Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser. “Bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances" declared the Clorox Co. The White House said the president's comments had been misrepresented by the media, and Trump said he had been speaking sarcastically. But a transcript of his remarks suggested otherwise. He had noted at a Thursday briefing that research was underway into the effect disinfectants have on the virus and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people. “Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” Trump asked. “Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.” Don't try that at home, others quickly warned. The U.S. Surgeon General’s office tweeted a reminder to all Americans: “PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/ medication to yourself or a loved one." Democrats leapt to respond. “It’s sad when you have to correct the president of the United States on a matter of science and health," said New York Mayor Bill De Blasio." Some Republicans, too. Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who campaigned as a strong Trump supporter in 2018, said, “Sometimes when you’re not clear with how you say things, especially when you are at a high level where people watch, its best probably not to venture into areas that you may not know a lot about." Trump, whose daily COVID briefings often stretch 90 minutes or longer, abruptly ended Friday’s appearance after only about 20 minutes and without answering questions. He did take questions earlier. RELATED: [Coronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA](https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/coronavirus-cleaners-these-products-will-kill-covid-19-according-to-the-epa) Many Americans apparently were taking Trump's comments as more than sarcastic. After receiving more than 100 calls to its hotline, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency tweeted this alert: “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.” Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped expose the Flint, Michigan, contaminated water scandal in 2015, said she routinely gives out the Poison Control hotline number during pediatric visits. In light of the president's comments, “It seems the entire country needs it now,” she tweeted. "The phone number to Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.'” ![e7e87395-The White House Holds Daily Briefing On Coronavirus Pandemic](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2020/04/932/524/GettyImages-1210843125.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) President Donald Trump arrives for the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump insisted his comments were misconstrued. “I was asking the question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen,” he said. However, “People expect presidents to speak with authority all the time,” said Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis. “You can’t pick and choose the times as president when you are going to act presidential ... and then say to the public, ’You’re supposed to understand I was being sarcastic.'" Trump’s imprecise language, hyperbole and outright mistruths in public statements throughout his presidency have been without precedent, said Frantz, who has researched Republican presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan. ![GettyImages-860371626.jpg](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5dc.com/www.fox5dc.com/content/uploads/2020/04/932/524/GettyImages-860371626.jpg?ve=1&tl=1) Lysol bottles on a store shelf, plastic spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner. The product is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images) ”Even before Trump attempted to walk back his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany sought to brush them off as the president faced a deluge of criticism. “President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,” McEnany said. Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, defended Trump as merely thinking aloud about what he was hearing at the briefing. “He was riffing,” said Jason Miller, who served as communications director to Trump’s 2016 campaign. “He wasn’t, saying, ‘Go and pump Lysol into your veins.’ But when you riff from the podium, it allows other people to define what your intent was.” Democrats were less forgiving. "I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach," tweeted Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of suggesting that people “inject Lysol into their lungs.” Actually, the idea to ingest a type of disinfectant has a history. During the influenza pandemic of 1918 — the year that Trump’s paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump, died of the flu — doctors gave patients a rash of unusual treatments to treat their symptoms, according to medical journals at the time. ![Trump suggests comments about injecting disinfectants were sarcastic](https://static.foxtv.com/www.foxtv.com/content/uploads/2020/04/470748B8242F441FB70B970017C2B868_3.jpg) The president received heavy criticism after claiming that injecting disinfectants could help treat COVID-19. One doctor advocated a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder be sniffed up the nose to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, and drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to author Laura Spinney, who wrote a 2017 book on the pandemic entitled “Pale Rider, The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.” Thursday wasn't the first time the president has talked up prospects for new therapies or offered rosy timelines for the development of a vaccine. He has repeatedly promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential “game changer” in the fight against the virus. Last month, the FDA authorized limited use of the malaria drug for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who aren’t enrolled in ongoing research. Studies have found reports of serious side effects, including dangerous irregular heart rhythms, and deaths among patients. Despite those negative results, Trump said Thursday he's read good reports, too. "We’ll see what happens,” he said. On Friday, however, the Food and Drug Administration warned that people should not take chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside of a hospital or formal clinical trial, citing reports of “serious heart rhythm problems.” The White House also has pitched "emerging” research on the benefits of sunlight and humidity in diminishing the threat of the virus. Past studies have not found good evidence that the warmer temperatures and higher humidity of spring and summer will help tamp down the spread of the virus. Ultraviolet light is used for disinfecting masks and other medical equipment but has not been shown to be safe or effective for use on people to try to eliminate a virus, said Dr. Rais Vohra, an emergency medicine doctor at the Fresno branch of the University of California, San Francisco. “For inanimate objects, it does make sense,” but exposing yourself to ultraviolet light outside or from other sources can raise the risk of skin cancer, he said. \_\_\_ Associated Press writers Karen Matthews in New York, Colleen Long, Jill Colvin and Darlene Superville in Washington, Ed White in Detroit and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
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