Doctors in India are warning against the practice of using cow dung in the belief it will ward off COVID-19, saying there is no scientific evidence for its effectiveness and that it risks spreading other diseases.
印度医生警告，不要迷信牛粪可以预防COVID-19，并称没有科学证据证明牛粪对治疗新冠有效性，反而会有传播其他疾病的风险。
The coronavirus pandemic has wrought devastation on India, with 22.66 million cases and 246,116 deaths reported so far. Experts say actual numbers could be five to 10 times higher, and citizens across the country are struggling to find hospital beds, oxygen, or medicines, leaving many to die for lack of treatment.
冠状病毒大流行给印度造成了严重破坏，迄今为止已有2266万例病例，246116例死亡。专家称，实际数字可能会高出5至10倍，全国各地的公民都在努力寻找病床、氧气或药品，许多人因缺乏治疗而死亡。
(Reuters)
In the state of Gujarat in western India, some believers have been going to cow shelters once a week to cover their bodies in cow dung and urine in the hope it will boost their immunity against, or help them recover from, the coronavirus.
在印度西部的古吉拉特邦，一些信徒每周要去一次牛棚，用牛粪和牛尿覆盖自己的身体，希望能增强他们对冠状病毒的免疫力，或帮助他们从冠状病毒中康复。
In Hinduism, the cow is a sacred symbol of life and the earth, and for centuries Hindus have used cow dung to clean their homes and for prayer rituals, believing it has therapeutic and antiseptic properties.
在印度教中，牛是生命和地球的神圣象征，几个世纪以来，印度教徒一直用牛粪清洁自己的房屋和进行祈祷仪式，他们认为牛粪具有治疗和杀菌的作用。
As participants wait for the dung and urine mixture on their bodies to dry, they hug or honour the cows at the shelter, and practice yoga to boost energy levels. The packs are then washed off with milk or buttermilk.
教徒在等待身上的粪便和尿液混合物变干时，他们会拥抱或称赞母牛，并练习瑜伽以提高能量水平，最后用牛奶或酪乳洗掉牛粪。
(Reuters)
Doctors and scientists in India and across the world have repeatedly warned against practising alternative treatments for COVID-19, saying they can lead to a false sense of security and complicate health problems.
印度和世界各地的医生和科学家一再警告不要对COVID-19进行替代治疗，并称，这些替代方法会导致错误的安全感，并使健康问题复杂化。
“There is no concrete scientific evidence that cow dung or urine work to boost immunity against COVID-19, it is based entirely on belief,” said Dr JA Jayalal, national president at the Indian Medical Association.
印度医学协会全国主席贾贾亚拉尔博士说：“没有具体的科学证据表明牛粪或尿液能提高对COVID-19的免疫力，这完全是基于信仰。”
“There are also health risks involved in smearing or consuming these products – other diseases can spread from the animal to humans.”
“涂抹或食用这些产品也有健康风险——动物可能会把其他疾病传染给人类。”
