MCC Nurse Faculty Advises Against Disinfectant Injections
President Donald Trump suggested medical professionals look into curing COVID-19 through disinfectant injections and light therapy during his national briefing on April 23.
“I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” said Trump. “And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside? Or almost a cleaning?”
Chris Humphrey, residential faculty for Mesa Community College’s nursing program, said if anyone injects disinfectants into their body, it will kill them.
“It destroys membranes and breaks open cells, and that’s how a disinfectant works,” said Humphrey. “It would essentially kill off whatever cells they do have, whatever immune system. Plus, it would kill off any of the important tissues that are needed to sustain life.
“When I saw that yesterday or the day before,I was screaming at the TV. I turned into my grandfather when he used to watch the news.”
Humphrey further explained the body is a combination of systems that interact with each other, and injecting disinfectant into the bloodstream would affect the lung tissue, destroying the ability for the tissues to produce oxygen. It would also destroy the kidneys and the liver.
“There’s no scientific relevance,” said Humphrey. “Anyone who’s gone through a basic biology high-school level class would know this is not how you deal with things.”
About Trump’s second suggestion of light therapy, Humphrey said the only research he knew of was phototherapy, the usage of a special type of supervised ultraviolet light to cure newborn jaundice.
“You can’t just go out and buy a black light or something like that and sit under it and think that’s gonna help you with COVID,” Humphrey said.
Several cures for COVID-19 have been suggested, but the FDA has not approved any. Trump has also suggested the use of hydroxychloroquine, which the FDA stated on their website they are currently studying, but there are concerns about side effects.
Since the stay-at-home lockdown last month, many Arizonans have questioned the severity of the coronavirus and the stay-at-home order. Nationwide protests ask for the economy to re-open.
“I don’t like staying indoors myself,” said Humphrey, “but I also provide care for my elderly mother. The fact that it can spread without anyone showing symptoms is what is the most dangerous, and that is what I feel people are not understanding.”
Humphrey advised Arizonans continue to be cautious and adhere to recommended health expert guidelines.
“We have unfortunately become a nation of, ‘me first,’ and this virus is asking us to think about other people.”
