Coronavirus: Dettol maker warns people against injecting disinfectants after Trump’s remarks

'As a global leader in health and hygiene 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)'

London: Dettol and Lysol makers Reckitt Benckiser (RB) on Friday (April 24) warned people against injecting disinfectant products to treat the coronavirus (COVID-19) after US President Donald Trump’s comments.

“I see the disinfectant that 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? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that,” Trump said.

In a statement on its website, the United Kingdom (UK) based RB has issued a statement where it warned against “improper use of disinfectants” to treat the virus. However, RB did not make any reference to Trump’s comments.

“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),” it said.

“As a global leader in health and hygiene 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).  As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information.

“We have a responsibility in providing consumers with access to accurate, up-to-date information as advised by leading public health experts,” it added.

Dettol and Lysol are widely used around the world including India. Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd is based in Gurgaon, Haryana. Indian-American Laxman Narasimhan is the CEO of RB, the London-listed company.