Doctors Warn Against Using Cow Dung For COVID Immunity

Doctors in India are warning against using cow dung in the hopes of warding off COVID-19 infection, claiming that there is no scientific evidence for its efficacy and that it could spread other diseases.

India has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, with 22.66 million cases and 246,116 deaths recorded so far. Experts say real figures maybe five to ten times higher and people across the country are unable to find hospital beds, oxygen, or medications, causing many to die due to lack of access to Medicare on time.

A few people in Gujarat have been visiting cow shelters once a week to smear their bodies with cow dung and urine in the hopes of boosting their immunity to fight against coronavirus.

Scores of people wait for the dung and urine mixture on their bodies to dry, and they practice yoga to increase their energy levels. After that, the packs are washed in milk or buttermilk.

"There is no concrete scientific proof that cow dung or urine boosts COVID-19 immunity; it is entirely dependent on faith," said Dr. JA Jayalal, national president of the Indian Medical Association.