An unusually high number of New Yorkers contacted city health authorities over fears that they had ingested bleach or other household cleaners in the 18 hours that followed President Trump’s bogus claim that injecting such products could cure coronavirus, the Daily News has learned.
The Poison Control Center, a subagency of the city’s Health Department, managed a total of 30 cases of possible exposure to disinfectants between 9 p.m. Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday, a spokesman said.
None of the people who reached out died or required hospitalization, the spokesman said.
But compared to last year, the number of cases was worthy of a double-take.
According to data obtained by The News, the Poison Control Center only handled 13 similar cases in the same 18-hour period last year.
Moreover, out of the cases reported between Thursday and Friday, nine were specifically about possible exposure to Lysol. Ten were in regards to bleach and 11 about household cleaners in general, the spokesman said.
In last year’s 18-hour period, there were no cases reported about Lysol exposure and only two were specifically in regards to bleach, the data shows.
During Thursday night’s coronavirus briefing at the White House, Trump suggested doctors may be able to cure coronavirus by injecting disinfectants like bleach directly into the lungs of their patients.
“Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs so it’d be interesting to check that … It sounds interesting to me,” Trump said, turning to his health advisers and asking them to look into the matter.
On Friday afternoon, following widespread pushback from medical experts, Trump claimed his dangerous suggestion was a joke.
