'Based Entirely On Belief': Doctors Warn Of Health Risks From Using Cow Dung As Covid Cure

"There are also health risks involved in smearing or consuming these products - other diseases can spread from the animal to humans."

Image Source (Reuters)

Ahemdabad: Doctors say that there is no scientific evidence to prove that cow dung or cow urine can help cure Covid-19, they further pointed towards the health risks as other diseases can spread through the practise. 

For centuries, Hindus have used cow dung to clean their homes and for prayer rituals for centuries, believing it has therapeutic and antiseptic properties because in Hinduism the cow is a sacred symbol of life and the earth.

According to Reuters report, some believers in Gujarat are visiting cow shelters to cover their bodies with cow dung and urine in the hope that it will boost their immunity against Covid-19 or help them recover from it. 

Body pack against Covid

"We see ... even doctors come here. Their belief is that this therapy improves their immunity and they can go and tend to patients with no fear," said Gautam Manilal Borisa, an associate manager at a pharmaceuticals company, who told Reuters that the practice helped him recover from COVID-19 last year.

Since then he has frequented the Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratishthanam, a school run by Hindu priests. Participants first apply the dung and urine mixture on their bodies and while they wait for it to dry, they hug or honour the cows at the shelter and practice yoga. Once dried, the packs are washed off with milk or buttermilk.

Doctors warn of risks

"There is no concrete scientific evidence that cow dung or urine work to boost immunity against COVID-19, it is based entirely on belief," Dr JA Jayalal, national president at the Indian Medical Association told Reuters.

Medical experts & scientist have warned against alternative therapies such as these because they lead to a false sense of security and also complicated health problems. Dr. JA Jayalal further added, "There are also health risks involved in smearing or consuming these products - other diseases can spread from the animal to humans."

The medical experts are also concerned about the spread of the virus in these places as the practice involves people gathering in one place. However, Madhucharan Das, in charge of another cow shelter in Ahmedabad, told Reuters they were limiting the number of participants.

India continues to battle second wave of Covid-19. As per the latest data provided by the Union Health Ministry, India reported 3,29,942 new Covid cases, 3,56,082 discharges and 3,876 deaths in the last 24 hours.  Ever since Covid began there has been a boom in alternative therapies with no scientific evidence which then get viral through social media posing as another threat.