Video shows top White House medic Deborah Birx's incredulity as Trump touts UV rays and disinfectant injections as possible coronavirus cures

• White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah was seen looking incredulous as President Donald Trump touted unproven coronavirus cures at a Thursday press conference.
• Trump suggested that UV rays or injecting disinfectant could cure the disease, and called on medical experts to study the phenomenon.
• Doctors have warned against the idea and criticized Trump for publicly discussing it.
• It is not the first time top medical officials have reacted with astonishment at claims Trump has made in the White House briefing.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A video shows Dr Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, reacting with apparent dismay as President Donald Trump suggested injecting disinfectant or beaming people with UV rays to cure the novel coronavirus on Thursday.

As the camera zooms in, Birx can be seen blinking rapidly in seeming incredulity, as Trump began speculating on potential cures that experts say have no ground in scientific fact, and could be dangerous if acted on.

—Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) April 24, 2020

"So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light," the president said in the briefing.

He then turned to Birx saying: "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," the president 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."

He then asked Birx if she had ever heard of using "the heat and the light" to treat coronavirus.

"Not as a treatment," Birx said. "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."

Birx isn't the first official whose reactions to Trump's comments have been captured and widely shared on social media.

In March, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, put his hand to his face in a seeming gesture of dismay as Trump launched into a digression referencing a right-wing conspiracy theory.

The same month Birx was criticized for claiming that Trump is attentive to "scientific literature and details."

"I think his ability to analyze and integrate data that comes out of his long history in business has really been a real benefit during these discussions about medical issues," she remarked at the time.

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