Doctors in India are currently warning all Indians against the practice of using cow dung to ward off COVID-19 virus, saying that there is no scientific evidence for its effectiveness and that such an act would put individuals at risk in spreading other diseases.
Indian citizens across the country are struggling to find hospital beds, oxygen, or medicines, leaving many to die for lack of treatment. But in the state of Gujarat in western India, many believers have been going to cow shelters once a week to cover their bodies in cow dung and urine in the hope it will boost their immunity against, or help them recover from, the coronavirus.
Indians believe that the cow is a sacred symbol of life and the earth, and for centuries Hindus have used cow dung to clean their homes and for prayer rituals, believing it has therapeutic and antiseptic properties due to their Hindu believes.
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.
Doctors and scientists in India and across the world have repeatedly warned against practising alternative treatments for COVID-19, saying they can lead to a false sense of security and complicate health problems.
There are also concerns this practice could contribute to the spread of the virus as it involved people gathering in groups.