DRINKING bleach to ward off coronavirus, is a “very, very bad idea” the First Minister of Scotland has said, as she blasted Donald Trump for acting irresponsibly.

The President of the United States has been pilloried across the world after he suggested last night that an "injection" of disinfectant into a person infected with the coronavirus could help “clean” that person’s body. 

READ MORE: Dettol manufacturer warns public against following Trump's advice

Nicola Sturgeon and Scotland’s clinical director, Professor Jason Leitch, were asked about the US leader’s recommendation during the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus press briefing. 

A bemused Leitch told reporters: “I can be absolutely certain I don't need to advise the First Minister that injecting disinfectant into your body will be no help for coronavirus.”

He added: “There is however research going on all over the world, some of that involving drugs, some of that involving vaccines and some of that involving disinfectant type things for surfaces and and other parts of our infrastructure, they are interesting. 

“Scotland is involved in many of them and we're certainly watching what happens around the world, but I can categorically say, and it is genuinely a serious point at times of non coronavirus and coronavirus, that disinfectant is for surfaces, not for bodies.

Sturgeon said there was “big responsibility” on leaders during the coronavirus crisis. 

“I'm really keen that we have an open discussion with the public, and that politicians, unusually perhaps, are prepared to admit things they don't know, as well as sharing the thinking on the things that we do know  and are trying to work through.

"But the responsibility on leaders is not to stand up in a public platform and repeat things that you have perhaps half heard and perhaps completely misunderstood and present that to the public in a way that the public may act on and that could be dangerous.

“None of us are perfect and we will all make mistakes in this but I think we all have to remember that very serious responsibility when we're giving advice to the public, it must be good advice, informed by the best science.

"As Jason has just said, it is clearly not the case that ingesting disinfectant in any way shape or form is a good idea. It’s a very, very bad idea, and extremely dangerous.”

Trump made the remark at his daily briefing, after Bill Bryan, who leads the Department of Homeland Security's science and technology division, shared research showing how the virus doesn't live as long in warmer temperatures. 

Responding, the President said: "So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it's ultraviolet or just a very powerful light — and I think you said that hasn't been checked because of the testing. And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or some other way, and I think you said you're going to test that, too."

He added: "I see the disinfectant that 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? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that."