Bleach manufacturers have warned people not to inject themselves with disinfectant after Trump wrongly suggested it may cure the coronavirus

• A bleach manufacturer is urging people not to consume disinfectant after President Donald Trump suggested it may help cure the coronavirus.
• Trump told a press briefing on Thursday that disinfectant could be injected into the bodies of patients infected with COVID-19 as a potential treatment.
• Medical experts condemned his comments as dangerous and irresponsible.
• RB, which manufactures bleach-based disinfectants in Europe, issued a statement warning their customers not to inject, or otherwise consume their products, under any circumstances.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A leading manufacturer of disinfectants has issued an urgent statement warning its customers not to attempt to inject themselves with bleach "under any circumstances" after President Trump wrongly claimed that it may be useful in treating the coronavirus.

Trump suggested at a press briefing on Thursday that disinfectant could potentially be used internally to treat coronavirus patients.

"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 said.

"So it'd be interesting to check that."

He added: "I'm not a doctor. But I'm, like, a person that has a good you-know-what."

The president also suggested that ultraviolet light, used internally, may help treat the COVID-19 disease.

Following his comments, RB, which manufacturers bleach-based disinfectants for the European market, issued a statement urging the public never to attempt to consume their products.

"Due to recent speculation and social media activity RB (the makers of Lysol and Dettol) has been asked whether internal administration of disinfectants may be appropriate for investigation or use as a treatment for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)," a company representative said.

The added: "As a global leader in health and hygiene products we must be clear that under no circumstances should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)."

Medical experts also lined up to condemn his comments.

"This notion of injecting or ingesting any type of cleansing product into the body is irresponsible and it's dangerous," Pulmonologist Dr Vin Gupta told NBC News.

He added: "It's a common method that people utilise when they want to kill themselves."

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a series of dangerous false remedies spreading online.

Advocates of a toxic bleach fake cure have been promoting the bogus remedy as a cure for the coronavirus in online forums and Telegram, Insider reported on Thursday.

Hundreds of Iranian have also reportedly died after rumours falsely suggested that consuming methanol could cure COVID-19.