A minister in the federal Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey, has claimed that 10-15 minutes of sunbath a day will eliminate any kind of viral infection.
“This would provide you with Vitamin D to strengthen your immunity, people should keep this in mind,” Chaubey said.
#WATCH Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey: People should spend at least 15 minutes in the sun. The sunlight provides Vitamin D, improves immunity and also kills such (#Coronavirus) viruses. pic.twitter.com/F80PX6VOmy
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2020
Chaubay's assertion comes despite medical experts claiming that heat and high temperature are not yet known to have any impact on COVID-19.
In the past, other politicians have given similar statements, essentially spreading misinformation. India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislator in Assam, Suman Haripriya, suggested cow dung and cow urine as remedies.
A Hindu group, Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha or All India Hindu Union held a cow urine drinking party in New Delhi on 14 March claiming it wards off Coronavirus, as cow urine has medicinal properties.
Another junior federal minister, Ramdas Athawale, during a recent prayer meeting in Mumbai, chanted "Go Corona, Corona Go" to stop the spread of the viral infection, in the presence of the Chinese Consul General Tang Guocai and some Buddhist monks.
Several myths or fake news have been doing the rounds on social media, claiming to have found a treatment for the disease. In western Maharashtra, three people were held for administering fake Coronavirus vaccines, while in southern Kerala, an ayurvedic physician was held for claiming that he could cure coronavirus.
India's federal Health Ministry has warned people against spreading fake news about the infection and propagating unscientific treatment procedures and solutions to eliminate the virus.
India is currently in Stage-II (local transmission) of the coronavirus spread with the top medical research body Indian Council Medical Research ruling out any community transmission of the infection so far. Since the first case of Coronavirus on 30 January, India has reported four deaths and 148 confirmed cases, according to the federal ministry of health and family welfare.
