A recent study has found that misleading reports about the coronavirus have killed at least 800 people and possibly more. While researching the alleged ‘infodemic’ (information epidemic) of exaggerating the dangers of COVID-19 through rumours and conspiracy theories, experts reviewed the damage about false claims about eating cow dung and drinking bleach to help prevent the coronavirus.A research article published in the scientific journal American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene states that rumours, scandals and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus have caused thousands of people around the world to suffer. According to the reports, 40-year-old Narayan Chatterjee, a BJP party worker of Jorasakho area in North Kolkata, organised a cow-worship programme at a cowshed and distributed cow urine.He vouched for its “miraculous” properties while offering gaumutra to others. A civic volunteer, who was on duty near the cow shed also consumed gaumutra and fell sick, following which he lodged a complaint with the police against Chatterjee.Reacting to the arrest, the state BJP leadership criticised the state government. An international team of scientists from various countries, including Australia, Japan and Thailand, based their research on data available between December 2019 and April 2020. “We reviewed online rumours, defamation and conspiracy theories about Covid-19 published on fact-checking websites, Facebook, Twitter, online newspapers and their implications for public health.” The survey revealed that about 800 people died when they drank too much alcohol in the hope that it would clear their bodies from disease, 5,900 people hospitalized for drinking menthol while 60 people lost their eyes and sight.Hundreds of people in India drank cow’s urine or ate cow dung due to false reports on social media to prevent infection.