JOIN USGau mutra to bhabhi ji papad: Myths propagated by leaders to 'boost immunity' against Covid-19
Among many deaths that have gone unreported in this deadlier second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is also the grizzly murder of scientific temper in the country.
While the family members of virus-affected patients criss-crossed cities and towns to arrange life-saving medicines like remdesivir and medical oxygen, many politicians indulged in prescribing unproven 'cures', further pushing people towards the virus that has now killed over 3 lakh Indians in over a year.
Earlier in the month, BJP MP Pragya Thakur once again made headlines after drawing a direct correlation between drinking cow urine and keeping Covid-19 at bay. She further went on to recommend planting trees to resolve the oxygen shortage.
Among other bovine cures, cow dung emerged as a front-runner. In Gujarat, a cow shelter run by Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Prathisthanam is offering 'cow dung' therapy, where people smear cow waste all over the body to prevent the infection. Doctors and experts have strictly advised people against it.
Cow dung will undoubtedly offer no protection against the coronavirus, but it can aggravate the risk of 'black fungus' infection, now declared an epidemic by various states across the country.
Last year, when other countries huddled to develop a vaccine, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal was seen promoting a papad brand ‘Bhabhi ji papad’, which, he claimed, had ingredients that helped build antibodies against Covid-19. Meghwal had contracted the virus in August last year.
At the onset of the second wave, concerns emerged over Kumbh Mela, where millions congregated for the 'shahi snaan', being a super-spreader event. But there were no messages of enforcing Covid protocols; instead, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said, "...Kumbh is at the bank of the River Ganga. Maa Ganga’s blessings are there in the flow. So, there should be no corona."
Baba Ramdev, who recently apologised for delegitimising allopathic medicines, also revealed a magic drug named 'Coronil' at an event attended by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
The so-called 'evidence-based' drug, manufactured by Ramdev's firm Patanjali, was backed by a "research paper" which is reportedly dodgy. In addition, he also claimed that it was backed by WHO, a lie debunked by the UN's public health arm.
Last week, in Andhra Pradesh, thousands, including critically-ill Covid patients, flocked to grab ayurvedic/herbal cure for the virus, sparking fears of it becoming a super-spreader event.
The daily infections in the country have reduced consistently for seven days now, but the deaths remain high. The vaccinations, a strong weapon against the virus, have also taken a hit in the country due to severe shortage.
The Modi government has been under fire for not tackling complacency and even declaring premature victory in the pandemic fight.
As these dubious myths go unchecked, they put millions at the mercy of Covid-19, or as one BJP minister likes to say, "People get old, they have to die."