Poison control begs Texans to quit drinking bleach: ‘Stop — it won’t cure COVID-19’

Nearly 50 north Texans have ingested bleach this month, and the region's poison control center is begging residents to stop.

The North Texas Poison Center issued a warning this week after 46 cases of bleach ingestions were called in prompted by "misleading and inaccurate information circulating online" about preventing the spread of the coronavirus, reported KTVT-TV.

"Stop, it won’t cure COVID," the agency warned.

President Donald Trump suggested in April that an “injection inside” the body with disinfectants such as bleach or isopropyl alcohol may help fight the coronavirus, and medical experts and manufacturers alike quickly urged the public not to follow that advice.

The risk from coronavirus may be reduced by cleaning surfaces -- such as tables, doorknobs or light switches -- with disinfectants, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has longed warned that drinking products that contain chlorine dioxide can lead to “severe vomiting, severe diarrhea, life-threatening low blood pressure caused by dehydration and acute liver failure.”

The Mayo Clinic recommends a disinfecting solution that contains just four teaspoons of bleach and one quart of water, and the health provider cautions against using that mixture in a poorly ventilated room or without wearing gloves.

Mixing ammonia or other cleaning products with bleach can produce toxic fumes, and none of those products should be ingested.