200 in New Delhi, India drink cow urine to fight off COVID-19

March 17, 2020 On Saturday, a few hundred people attended a  party (cow urine party) to fight off COVID-19. The party was organised by (All India Hindu Union) president  where the attendees consumed cow urine to prevent themselves from being infected by the coronavirus. Reuters estimated around 200 people attended the event held at the Indian capital city of New Delhi.

Speaking to Reuters, an attendee Om Prakash said, "We have been drinking cow urine for 21 years, we also take bath in cow dung. We have never felt the need to consume English medicine".

A ' (literally means sacrifice, devotion, worship, or offering) was conducted at the start of the meeting and a poster of coronavirus, personified as an ' of the Hindu god, was displayed. At the event, ABHM president Chakrapani said "Coronavirus has come because of the people who kill and eat animals. When you kill an animal, it creates a sort of energy that causes destruction in that place".

In February, Chakrapani said, "Corona is not a virus, but avatar for the protection of poor creatures. They have come to give the message of death and punishment to the one who eats them".

COVID-19 was previously announced to be a "" by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO's situation report dated March 16, the virus claimed 6606 lives, and 167,515 cases were reported of this disease. The WHO's website said: "While some western, traditional or home remedies may provide comfort and alleviate symptoms of COVID-19, there is no evidence that current medicine can prevent or cure the disease. The WHO does not recommend self-medication with any medicines, including antibiotics, as a prevention or cure for COVID-19."

However, addressing the global leaders, Chakrapani proposed: "I request all the presidents and prime ministers of the world to take cow urine on a daily basis. You have all these scientists who don't know the cure, we have the cure given to us by the gods".

Chakrapani had said,  Earlier this month, Chakrapani told , "Just like we organise tea parties, we have decided to organise a gaumutra party, wherein we will inform people about what is coronavirus and how, by consuming cow-related products, people can be saved from it".

Cows are considered by Hindus and politicians of the Hindu-nationalist party Bharatiya Janta Party had previously cited the medicinal benefits of cow urine. Similar sentiment was shared by a from Assam earlier this month. of the assembly said "Coronavirus is an airborne disease and it can be cured by using gaumutra and cow dung."

According to the reports by Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering, there are at least 142 cases in India, of which three patients have died. 14 have recovered so far in the country. Multiple schools and colleges are closed across the country as a precautionary measure to slow down the spread of this virus. Passengers at airports are being screened to ensure safety.