As India continues to witness near-record levels of virus infections and deaths, Indian doctors warn against using cow dung as a treatment for COVID-19.
Local legends said rubbing cow dung on one's body helps to fend off COVID-19. However, Indian doctors claim that there is no scientific proof that the practice is successful and may even spread other diseases.
Johns Hopkins University claimed that India had been especially hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 22.9 million positive cases of the virus and nearly 250,000 COVID -19 deaths. Reports said some analysts believe the true figures are five to ten times higher than what has been published.
Doctors Debunk Local Legends' Claim That Cow Dung Could Cure COVID-19
Smearing cow dung and urine on the body in the hopes of boosting COVID-19 immunity or assisting an individual in recovering from the virus is ineffective and potentially harmful.
The custom is based on Hinduism's belief that the cow is a sacred symbol of life and the earth. Cow dung has long been thought to have medicinal and antiseptic properties by Hindus.
Gautam Manilal Borisa, an associate manager at a pharmaceuticals company, explained that this therapy improves their immunity in their belief. He added that they could go and tend to patients with no fear.
But Dr. JA Jayalal, the Indian Medical Association's national president, disagrees.
"There is no concrete scientific evidence that cow dung or urine work to boost immunity against COVID-19, it is based entirely on belief," Jayalal told Reuters.
"There are also health risks involved in smearing or consuming these products - other diseases can spread from the animal to humans," he added.
Despite the warnings, some Gujarati believers still visit cow shelters weekly in the hopes of increasing their immunity to the coronavirus or speeding up their recovery.
This isn't the first time anything similar has happened; in March 2020, many Hindu activists in India attended a cow urine-drinking party. The attendees claimed that cow urine and dung would prevent and cure COVID-19.
Om Prakash, one of the party attendees, explained that they have been drinking cow urine and take a bath in cow dung for 21 years. "We have never felt the need to consume English medicine," he told DW.
India Should Increase Vaccine Production To Gain Control Of COVID-19 Pandemic
Interesting Engineering said doctors expressed their fear that the procedure, including people gathering in groups, could help spread the coronavirus. Although some cow shelters claim to limit the number of participants, the risk of other viruses circulating from animals to humans remains.
Hence, Dr. Anthony Fauci - the United States' leading infectious disease specialist - issued an alert to the country due to the high demand for hospital beds, oxygen, and personal protective equipment (PPE) in India.
On Sunday, Fauci told ABC's "This Week" that the only way for Indian officials to gain control of the pandemic is to increase vaccine production and distribution and establish a series of field hospitals and declare a government shutdown to delay the spread.
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