Doctors Sound the Alarm: Bathing in Cow Manure Will Not Cure COVID

Don’t trust me — I’m not a doctor.

But for those of you who Trust the Science™, I have news to pass along.

As it turns out, COVID-19 cannot be effectively warded off with cow poop.

For those of you intending to try, don’t.

It’s already being attempted on the other side of the world.

As reported by Reuters, in the western Indian state of Gujurat, some residents are undertaking weekly trips to cow shelters.

The purpose of their treks: a covering, courtesy of cow urine and feces.

It’s all part of the fight against SARS-CoV-2.

However, there’s no scientific evidence to support the practice.

In fact, says the outlet, bathing in bovine excrement might spread other diseases.

And in India, they could do without more.

Per Reuters, the country’s seen 22.6 million cases of the coronavirus, with over 246,000 reported deaths.

According to experts, the actual numbers could be as much as ten times higher.

Tragically, many aren’t even making it to medical care:

[C]itizens across the country are struggling to find hospital beds, oxygen, or medicines, leaving many to die for lack of treatment.

Purportedly, the thought behind a draping of dung is that it will boost immunity.

Also: It may aid in virus recovery.

And there is, of course, a spiritual side: In Hinduism, cows are considered sacred.

[F]or centuries, Hindus have used cow dung to clean their homes and for prayer rituals, believing it has therapeutic and antiseptic properties.

One adherent: Pharmaceuticals company associate manager Gautam Manilal Borisa.

Gautam estimates that a fecal flocking helped him get over COVID last year.

And as told to Reuters, he’s far from alone in the professional world:

“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.”

Reuters paints a picture:

[Gautam] has since been a regular at the Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratishthanam, a school run by Hindu monks that lies just across the road from the Indian headquarters of Zydus Cadila (CADI.NS), which is developing its own COVID-19 vaccine.

As participants wait for the dung and urine mixture on their bodies to dry, they hug or honour the cows at the shelter, and practice yoga to boost energy levels. The packs are then washed off with milk or buttermilk.

Yet, scientists and doctors have warned against engaging in alternative treatments for the coronavirus.

And as for medicating with a manure mud mask, Dr. JA Jayalal — Indian Medical Association national president — makes things clear:

“There is no concrete scientific evidence that cow dung or urine work to boost immunity against COVID-19, it is based entirely on belief.”

Furthermore:

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

On top of that, everyone getting together to share in the experience is eschewing social distance.

Doctors in India are warning against covering one's body in cow dung and urine in the belief it will ward off COVID-19, saying there is no scientific evidence for its effectiveness and that it risks spreading other diseases. More photos: https://t.co/g2rTla2PUx 📷 Amit Dave pic.twitter.com/3WpULYndxA

— Reuters Pictures (@reuterspictures) May 11, 2021

So if you or anyone you know hopes to make COVID kowtow to cow turds, it is not medically advisable.

With luck and blessings, the terrible scourge in India will soon relent — and the country can go back to more pleasurable problems such as the one I covered last year:

Pouring Into the Well: Residents in Southern India Lose Their Water Source for a Month as All Their Faucets Flow with Liquor Instead https://t.co/Om3bDGf0ij

— RedState (@RedState) February 12, 2020