The reaction of Dr. Deborah Birx - a US doctor, who is at the helm of Donald Trump's COVD-19 taskforce - has gone viral on social media, after the President suggested injecting people with disinfectant or blasting UV light under the skin to treat the novel coronavirus, during his press briefing on Thursday.
Dr. Birx's facial expressions were quickly made into a slow-motion video, and shared online. One person tweeted, "Did Dr Birx realise she had sold her soul, after hearing Trump’s latest s**t on using UV Light and injecting yourself with disinfectant?"
Watch her reaction below:The president was roundly criticized by the medical community following his assertions, which have since been condemned as being irresponsible and dangerous.
The comments came after William Bryan, acting head of the US Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, presented results of US government research that indicated that coronavirus weakens quicker when exposed to sunlight and heat.
The study also demonstrated bleach could kill the virus in saliva or respiratory fluids within five minutes and isopropyl alcohol could kill it even more quickly.
"So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous - whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light," the president said regarding the findings. He then turned to Dr. Deborah Birx - the White House coronavirus response co-ordinator - and stated: "and I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it.
"And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside of the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that too. Sounds interesting," Trump continued.
"And 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? So it'd be interesting to check that."
Pointing to his head, Trump added: "I'm not a doctor. But I'm, like, a person that has a good you-know-what."
Disinfectants are hazardous substances, which can prove fatal if ingested. Furthermore, external exposure can be dangerous to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
Watch as Donald Trump brands a reporter a "disgrace" at a press briefing:He addressed Dr. Birx again and asked if she had ever heard of using "the heat and the light" to treat coronavirus. "Not as a treatment," Dr. Birx replied. "I mean, certainly, fever is a good thing, when you have a fever it helps your body respond. But I've not seen heat or light."
"I think it's a great thing to look at," Trump responded.
A journalist at the briefing proceeded to question whether Trump's remarks could spread dangerous misinformation to the American public - a statement that has been echoed by medics around the globe.
Speaking to NBC News, Pulmonologist Dr. Vin Gupta said: "This notion of injecting or ingesting any type of cleansing product into the body is irresponsible and it's dangerous. It's a common method that people utilise when they want to kill themselves."