"Don't Shy Away From Mud": BJP MP's "Advice" On Boosting Immunity

A video by a BJP MP from Rajasthan - posted to his Facebook page on August 13 - in which he suggests that sitting in wet mud and blowing a conch boosts immunity and offers protection from Covid, resurfaced Monday as parliament met for the first time since the lockdown forced its adjournment in March.

On Day One, 25 parliamentarians reportedly tested positive - 17 from the Lok Sabha and eight from the Rajya Sabha.  

In the video, Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria, the MP from Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, is seen sitting cross-legged, shirtless and covered in wet mud in an open field, in about six to eight inches of muddy water.

"I believe if your lungs (and) kidneys are clean it boosts immunity...blowing conch shells helps boost immunity. Taking medicines does not boost your immunity. (Instead) get wet in the rain, don't shy away from mud, take a walk, go cycling... and do it all to boost your immunity," Mr Jaunpuria claims.

"Even when the coronavirus outbreak started, I had put out a video. I am able to blow the conch shells for two minutes after regular practice... earlier I could do it only for about 10 to 20 seconds," he continues.

The coronavirus, which has infected over 48 lakh people in India (and killed nearly 80,000), has people worried and looking for help and information on possible vaccines, cures and ways to avoid infection.

As pharma companies pour billions into research to try and develop a vaccine or even a cure, a few political leaders have made some rather unusual suggestions for protection against the virus. 

In July, a Union Minister - Arjun Ram Meghwal - claimed that eating a particular brand of papad would develop coronavirus anti-bodies. 

A month earlier a report by the Hindustan Times quoted Ramesh Saxena, a four-time former Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh as saying: "...if members of any family sit together to recite the Hanuman Chalisa 11 times, corona can't touch them". 

Another Congress MLA - Bharat Singh Kundanpur of Rajasthan - wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claiming that drinking alcohol could kill the virus. 

In March Ashwini Choubey, the Union Minister of State for Health, said that sitting for in the sun for 15 minutes could "improve immunity and kill coronavirus". 

There is no known vaccine for COVID-19, although testing is underway to develop one; a candidate developed by the University of Oxford and pharma giant AstraZeneca is among the more promising ones.

Medical experts have stressed that the best measures for protection against Covid include social distancing, practicing proper cough and sneeze hygiene (including safely disposing tissues) and frequent washing of hands with soap or disinfectant.