The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has urged nationals to go out and enjoy the sun after studies revealed that the impact of sunlight on humans and bleach can both kill the new coronavirus.
Trump made the call after Bill Bryan, a senior official at the US Department of Homeland Security, said studies on the virus showed bleach kills coronavirus in about five minutes, and isopropyl alcohol destroys it even faster.
According to him, tests showed the virus in droplets of saliva survives best indoors and in dry conditions.
“The virus dies the quickest in the presence of direct sunlight under these conditions,” he said.
Bryan, who is not a scientist, said a U.S. Army biological lab outside Washington, DC, had been testing the virus.
“Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both surfaces and in the air,” he said. Temperature and humidity also affect how long the virus survives, Bryan said.
Trump, who has consistently looked for hopeful news about containing the virus, was asked if it was dangerous to make people think they would be safe by going outside in the heat, considering that so many people have died in Florida.
“I hope people enjoy the sun. And if it has an impact, that’s great,” Trump replied, adding, “It’s just a suggestion from a brilliant lab by a very, very smart, perhaps brilliant man.”
“I’m here to present ideas, because we want ideas to get rid of this thing. And if heat is good, and if sunlight is good, that’s a great thing as far as I’m concerned,” the president said.
Earlier in the month, scientific advisers told the White House there’s no good evidence yet that the heat and humidity of summer will curb the spread of the virus without continued public health measures. They explained that countries currently in ‘summer’ climates, such as Australia and Iran, are experiencing rapid virus spread.
