HUNDREDS of Hindu worshipers have sipped cups of cow urine in India in a bid to ward off the coronavirus.
Members of a Hindu nationalist group hosted a party in Delhi yesterday where they drank the urine to combat Covid-19.
Further gatherings are planned elsewhere in India.
A vaccine is not yet available for the virus, which has infected more than 140,000 people around the world.
However, some 200 people belonging to a group called the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (All India Hindu Union) met in Delhi yesterday in the hope of protecting themselves from the deadly bug.
So far, there have been 84 cases of Covid-19 in the country.
Two people have died.
‘BATHE IN COW DUNG’
One attendee said participants also bathe in cow dung and avoid “English medicine”.
Many Hindus consider the cow sacred, and some drink cow urine, believing it can be used as a medicine – and may even cure cancer.
However, experts have repeatedly asserted that cow urine does not cure illness and there is no evidence is can prevent coronavirus.
India has today declared Covid-19 as a ‘notified disaster’, which means the country can spend more cash to fight the pandemic.
The health ministry says more than 4,000 people who had contact with confirmed cases of the virus are under surveillance.
Public buildings, cinemas and bars have been shut down in several cities, and major sporting events have been postponed, including the start of the Indian Premier League.
In the UK, 21 people infected with the coronavirus have died.
Medics are working “around the clock” to prevent an escalation of the pandemic.
Pensioners could face four months of isolation as the government launches a ‘wartime-style’ plan to keep everyone aged 70 and over safe.
Spain is in a state of emergency and France has tonight announced that restaurants, cinemas and clubs will lock down.
