[Genuine Realist]

Evidently TWO people in Illinois called in, as a result of using 'inappropriate exposure' to disinfectants - which may or may not mean ingesting them. The matter-of-fact civil servant notes that reports have been up 36% since the onset of social distancing, mostly from people using bleach and/or other home remedies for sanitation.

It's a good rule of thumb to be wary of any news report that informs you of 'significant' or 'alarming' increases in some obnoxious activity, without giving hard numbers. All of the media have become experts at that.

NYC Poison Control Calls for Bleach, Lysol Double After Trump Disinfectant Comment

Calls to New York City's Poison Control Center for exposure to certain household chemicals more than doubled after President Donald Trump suggested injecting disinfectant might be one way to combat COVID-19, the city said Saturday.

In the 18 hours after the president's suggestion during a Thursday night news conference, the city center got 30 exposure calls -- nine specifically about Lysol, 10 about bleach and 11 about other household cleaners.

And perhaps by untrustworthy, sensationalist news sources, you meant this purveyor?https://www.foxnews.com/us/states-spike-poison-control-calls

States see spike in poison control calls following Trump's comments on injecting disinfectant
...
More concerning, though, is the number of people who actually went ahead with the suggestion.

In New York City, the Daily News reported that the Poison Control Center saw 30 cases of “exposure to Lysol, bleach & other cleaners in 18 hours after Trump’s suggestion” that cleaning products might be used to treat coronavirus. NYC Poison Control saw only 13 such cases in a similar period last year.

Kentucky has seen a similar surge in calls. According to WDRB, the Kentucky Poison Control Center receives 1,000 calls a day related to COVID-19 issues. Usually, the center gets around 150 calls a day.

I owe you some quantification on why I believe the article is bogus.

1. There are no hard numbers.

2. The point of comparison in New York isn't today and last WEEK. It's today and last YEAR. But the point of comparison should be the effect of Trump's statement. But it isn't there.

3. The factoids from Illinois and Kentucky also compare 2019 numbers with 2020. The Illinois numbers are the same as reported in my link, which also refer to a change annually.

4. Putting two and two together, what's been going on since March is a number of naive unfortunates misusing bleaches and other dsinifectants for sanitation, most likely in place of hand sanitizers. What's being reported is that long term response, rather than any specific reaction to Trump's statement.

And there are no cases of ingestion, which is in theory what Trump suggested. Akiddoc was right the first time. No one is that dumb.

And that's how you take a fact here, a fact there, spin some together with a few quotes from sympathetic officials. and make an article that implies a reaction to a specific event, when in fact there is little or no evidence of any such thing.

[Genuine Realist]

Evidently TWO people in Illinois called in, as a result of using 'inappropriate exposure' to disinfectants - which may or may not mean ingesting them. The matter-of-fact civil servant notes that reports have been up 36% since the onset of social distancing, mostly from people using bleach and/or other home remedies for sanitation.

It's a good rule of thumb to be wary of any news report that informs you of 'significant' or 'alarming' increases in some obnoxious activity, without giving hard numbers. All of the media have become experts at that.

NYC Poison Control Calls for Bleach, Lysol Double After Trump Disinfectant Comment

Calls to New York City's Poison Control Center for exposure to certain household chemicals more than doubled after President Donald Trump suggested injecting disinfectant might be one way to combat COVID-19, the city said Saturday.

In the 18 hours after the president's suggestion during a Thursday night news conference, the city center got 30 exposure calls -- nine specifically about Lysol, 10 about bleach and 11 about other household cleaners.

And perhaps by untrustworthy, sensationalist news sources, you meant this purveyor?https://www.foxnews.com/us/states-spike-poison-control-calls

States see spike in poison control calls following Trump's comments on injecting disinfectant
...
More concerning, though, is the number of people who actually went ahead with the suggestion.

In New York City, the Daily News reported that the Poison Control Center saw 30 cases of “exposure to Lysol, bleach & other cleaners in 18 hours after Trump’s suggestion” that cleaning products might be used to treat coronavirus. NYC Poison Control saw only 13 such cases in a similar period last year.

Kentucky has seen a similar surge in calls. According to WDRB, the Kentucky Poison Control Center receives 1,000 calls a day related to COVID-19 issues. Usually, the center gets around 150 calls a day.

I owe you some quantification on why I believe the article is bogus.

1. There are no hard numbers.

2. The point of comparison in New York isn't today and last WEEK. It's today and last YEAR. But the point of comparison should be the effect of Trump's statement. But it isn't there.

3. The factoids from Illinois and Kentucky also compare 2019 numbers with 2020. The Illinois numbers are the same as reported in my link, which also refer to a change annually.

4. Putting two and two together, what's been going on since March is a number of naive unfortunates misusing bleaches and other dsinifectants for sanitation, most likely in place of hand sanitizers. What's being reported is that long term response, rather than any specific reaction to Trump's statement.

And there are no cases of ingestion, which is in theory what Trump suggested. Akiddoc was right the first time. No one is that dumb.

And that's how you take a fact here, a fact there, spin some together with a few quotes from sympathetic officials. and make an article that implies a reaction to a specific event, when in fact there is little or no evidence of any such thing.