Trending - The rise of India’s ‘Covid quack’
Download The rise of India’s ‘Covid quack’
As India struggles with a surge in Covid-19 cases, it is also dealing with a wave of misinformation about the virus and vaccines.
Although now banned from Facebook and YouTube, self-proclaimed nutritionist Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury built his social media stardom by claiming that conventional medicine is almost entirely wrong about coronavirus.
Labelled a dangerous “quack” by his critics, Chowdhury has a track record of spreading outrageous medical falsehoods. He is opposed to all vaccines and even claims AIDS is not caused by HIV.
During the global pandemic he has gained a new audience by spreading conspiracy theories about Covid-19, which he calls “the scandal of the millennium”.
Chowdhury says – contrary to scientific evidence - that masks and lockdowns are harmful and warns that hospital treatment only increases a patient’s chances of dying.
He claims to have “cured” thousands of Covid-19 patients through diet alone and has set up a course where followers can pay to learn his methods. We challenge his bogus claims and uncover new details about the death of one of his followers.
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Reha Kansara
Producer: Ed Main
With reporting by: Shruti Menon, BBC Reality Check, Delhi
Published on Saturday, 24th April 2021.
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