Doctors in India are warning against the practice of using cow dung in the belief it will ward off COVID-19.

According to reports, there is no scientific evidence for its effectiveness and that it risks spreading other diseases, quoted 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.

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.

As participants wait for the dung and urine mixture on their bodies to dry, they hug or honor the cows at the shelter, and practice yoga to boost energy levels. The packs are then washed off with milk or buttermilk.

Doctors and scientists in India and across the world have repeatedly warned against practicing alternative treatments for COVID-19, saying they can lead to a false sense of security and complicate health problems.