by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
There is a debate working its way through social media this morning that asks a basic question about Donald Trump's bizarre performance at his daily coronavirus press briefing yesterday. Some are citing Trump's musings about curing the deadly virus with a massive blast of light or consumption of disinfectant as proof of his mental derangement, while others argue that he was simply high - very, very high.
The daily press briefings began several weeks ago as forums to keep the press and the public informed about the deadly pandemic and progress in the fight to contain it, but Trump quickly inserted himself into the shows and now they more closely resemble campaign events in which all pandemic news is filtered through Trump's political needs and his oddball personal views on the situation. Yesterday his personal views reached new levels of weirdness.
The briefing began with remarks by Bill Bryan, the head of Homeland Security's science and technology division. He discussed research that the and his team have conducted which shows that the virus doesn't live as long in warmer and more humid temperatures. He explained that the virus dies quickest in sunlight.
That remark caused Trump's very big brain to kick into gear. He pondered aloud whether it would be possible to bring the light "inside the body."
According to NBC News - and various other major news outlets - he then speculated aloud:
(And the internet went mad speculating that Trump was suggesting shining a very powerful flashlight either "up" or "down" some bodily orifice - but that is neither here nor there.)
Trump then rambled even further afield:
Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist, global health policy expert, and NBC contributor, warned against Trump's "improper health messaging," He added that "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 utilize when they want to kill themselves."
Donald Trump has drawn a great deal of public criticism recently over his promotion of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, as a possible preventative for coronavirus. Trump's promotion of this untested "remedy" produced a high demand for the drug - even by a couple of federal agencies - that resulted in a shortage for those seeking it for its legitimate and proven uses. Now recent studies are demonstrating that use of hydroxychloroquine is not only ineffective in fighting off coronavirus, but can actually be harmful to people who use it for that purpose. (One man in Arizona reportedly died from using the drug for protection from the virus. His wife said that he had taken it after watching Trump tout the drug on television as a possible preventative measure.)
One senior official with the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Rick Bright, said that he was fired from his job this past week for resisting demands to sign off on treatments involving hydroxychloroquine.
But for today, at least, the pandemic news focus - as determined by the ravings of Donald John Trump - is off of hydroxychloroquine and has moved on to the miraculous possibilities associated with the use of bright lights and disinfectant.
Without being restrained in a locked room and subjected to a world-class mental health evaluation, it may be impossible to determine if the leader of the free world is a raving lunatic or just an out-of-control drug abuser.
Obviously more testing is needed.
Citizen Journalist
There is a debate working its way through social media this morning that asks a basic question about Donald Trump's bizarre performance at his daily coronavirus press briefing yesterday. Some are citing Trump's musings about curing the deadly virus with a massive blast of light or consumption of disinfectant as proof of his mental derangement, while others argue that he was simply high - very, very high.
The daily press briefings began several weeks ago as forums to keep the press and the public informed about the deadly pandemic and progress in the fight to contain it, but Trump quickly inserted himself into the shows and now they more closely resemble campaign events in which all pandemic news is filtered through Trump's political needs and his oddball personal views on the situation. Yesterday his personal views reached new levels of weirdness.
The briefing began with remarks by Bill Bryan, the head of Homeland Security's science and technology division. He discussed research that the and his team have conducted which shows that the virus doesn't live as long in warmer and more humid temperatures. He explained that the virus dies quickest in sunlight.
That remark caused Trump's very big brain to kick into gear. He pondered aloud whether it would be possible to bring the light "inside the body."
According to NBC News - and various other major news outlets - he then speculated aloud:
"So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous - whether it's ultraviolet or just a very powerful light - and I think you said that hasn't been checked because of the testing. And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you said you can do either through he skin or some other way, and I think you said you're going to test that, too."
(And the internet went mad speculating that Trump was suggesting shining a very powerful flashlight either "up" or "down" some bodily orifice - but that is neither here nor there.)
Trump then rambled even further afield:
"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 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 did not stipulate any particular brand of disinfectant, but Lysol quickly issued a warning for the public not to use its cleaning product internally.
Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist, global health policy expert, and NBC contributor, warned against Trump's "improper health messaging," He added that "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 utilize when they want to kill themselves."
Donald Trump has drawn a great deal of public criticism recently over his promotion of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, as a possible preventative for coronavirus. Trump's promotion of this untested "remedy" produced a high demand for the drug - even by a couple of federal agencies - that resulted in a shortage for those seeking it for its legitimate and proven uses. Now recent studies are demonstrating that use of hydroxychloroquine is not only ineffective in fighting off coronavirus, but can actually be harmful to people who use it for that purpose. (One man in Arizona reportedly died from using the drug for protection from the virus. His wife said that he had taken it after watching Trump tout the drug on television as a possible preventative measure.)
One senior official with the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Rick Bright, said that he was fired from his job this past week for resisting demands to sign off on treatments involving hydroxychloroquine.
But for today, at least, the pandemic news focus - as determined by the ravings of Donald John Trump - is off of hydroxychloroquine and has moved on to the miraculous possibilities associated with the use of bright lights and disinfectant.
Without being restrained in a locked room and subjected to a world-class mental health evaluation, it may be impossible to determine if the leader of the free world is a raving lunatic or just an out-of-control drug abuser.
Obviously more testing is needed.
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