Maryland Emergency Hotline Receives More Than 100 Calls About Disinfectant After Trump Comments

Maryland emergency officials are warning state residents not to inject or ingest disinfectant after more than 100 people called the state’s emergency hotline regarding questions about disinfectant use and COVID-19.

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“We have received several calls regarding questions about disinfectant use and Covid-19,” Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MDMEMA) tweeted. “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.”

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The warning from Maryland state officials came shortly after President Trump on Thursday suggested during a White House briefing the possibility of light or disinfectant being used to treat patients with the coronavirus.

“Then 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,” Trump continued. “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.”

Trump came under scrutiny from medical experts, elected officials and private companies who quickly warned Americans not to ingest chemicals.

Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Administrator Scott Gottleib said there’s “no circumstance” where an individual should inject themselves with a disinfectant, while the company that makes Lysol issued a statement warning against ingesting its products.

Trump responded to the criticism Friday, saying he was being sarcastic.

“I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen,” Trump told reporters at an Oval Office bill signing.

“I was asking a sarcastic — and a very sarcastic –– question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside," the president continued. "But it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters."

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