Does Trump deserve so much criticism?

BACK at start of the coronavirus pandemic it was noted that chlorine was 100% effective in removing/ killing Covid virus from surfaces.

Subsequently, President Donald Trump was severely criticised for suggesting that medical scientists might devise a way of injecting Covid sufferers with chlorine to eradicate the disease.

Of course no one in their right mind would consider injecting household chlorine bleach into anyone.

Recently I had a flu injection, after which I was given a leaflet telling me things I ought to know before having the injection. (yes!)

The leaflet included a list of ingredients in the flu vaccine.

Among these were: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride hexahydrate and calcium chloride.

The word chloride indicates the substance is a compound of chlorine and the substance preceding it.

Sodium chloride is usually known as common salt. Potassium chloride known as saltpetre, also common in food, especially in curing bacon; calcium chloride – well it’s a long time, 60 plus years, since I did chemistry at school, but I think that’s best known as chalk – while another ingredient, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, sounds very like milk of magnesia used to settle minor stomach problems in olden days.

All these substances are commonly used in medicine. Fish keepers often use common salt to treat ailments in tropical fish. Chlorine bleach in powder form is used to purify swimming pools worldwide, as well as drinking water wherever it is piped to homes.

So maybe Mr Trump did not deserve the heavy criticism he got?

Could it be that raising the level of chlorine in drinking water to the highest level consistent with remaining drinkable, might reduce the rate of Covid-19 infections?

Mike Baker St Austell, Cornwall