Consider this a general life rule: If someone tells you that you should drink your own urine for health reasons…don’t. And definitely don’t believe claims of a COVID urine “cure.”
Anti-vaxxer Christopher Key, self-appointed leader of the “Vaccine Police,” is pushing a so-called COVID urine cure, touting the (completely unscientific) practice of “urine therapy” as a means for curing COVID-19. In a video posted to Telegram, a social media site favored by right-wing extremists, Key claimed drinking your own urine is “the antidote” to the coronavirus based on “tons and tons of research,” as reported by The Daily Beast. “I know to a lot of you this sounds crazy, but guys, God’s given us everything we need,” Key said, adding, “This vaccine is the worst bioweapon I have ever seen…I drink my own urine!”
It should go without saying that drinking your own pee to prevent or cure COVID-19 is not based on “tons and tons of research”—or any amount of research. It will not cure a COVID-19 infection—or any other ailment. It is not safe—in fact, it is potentially quite harmful.
Don’t drink your pee. Just don’t. Ever. (Not even if you’re lost in the woods, per the U.S. Field Army Manual, since drinking urine will actually dehydrate you.)
Sadly, this is not the first time the idea of “urine therapy” has gained traction amongst anti-vax conspiracy theorists—it’s been percolating in some of the most scientifically baseless (and dangerous) corners of the internet for months.
The (totally unscientific and potentially harmful) idea of drinking urine to cure a variety of ills, from allergies to cancer, has been around for centuries. It’s a vestige of a long history of “medical treatments” that have now been disproven time and time again: Licking human skulls! Mercury cocktails! Dead mice ointments!
To set the record straight, there is no such thing as a COVID urine cure. Consuming your own pee (or anyone else’s, for that matter), will not cure your cold, your cancer, or your COVID. It will not make your child smarter. It will not deliver any health benefits whatsoever. Drinking pee will however expose you to toxins—urine contains bacteria that, if introduced to the bloodstream, can be harmful—and stress your kidneys.
We’ll say it one more time: Don’t drink your pee. Just don’t. Ever.
The only way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get the vaccine and the booster—both of which have been proven safe by every major medical association in the world. Wear a mask that will protect you against omicron, and get tested if you think you’ve been exposed.
Related:
- ‘Flurona’ Reports Are on the Rise. How Worried Should You Be?
- The Best N95 Face Masks—And Where You Can Actually Buy Them
- People Are Using At-Home COVID Tests the Wrong Way