Man arrested after posting a viral video of him eating a snake that he claimed would ‘keep COVID-19 at bay’

A 50-year-old agricultural worker was arrested in Tamil Naidu, India on Thursday after posting a viral video of him eating a snake.

The man, known only as Vadivelu, shared a video of him ripping a dead snake in two and then consuming large portions of it.

“It keeps Covid at bay,” Vadivelu claimed. Environmentalists sent the video to officers from the state’s forest department. Officials later arrested Vadivelu and fined him around 7,500 rupees, or $104.

The man claims to have been forced into eating the snake by other men while he was drunk. There is no evidence to suggest that eating snakes cures COVID-19. In fact, it has the potential to be life-threatening.

“He was lucky that he did not bite into the venom glands of the snake which was a common krait, the common krait contains neurotoxins that can paralyze a human being,” Madurai S Ananda, the district forest officer told The Times of India.

This is not the first time a fake coronavirus cure has been promoted in India. A renowned doctor in Gurugram recommending spices to treat the virus, Insider previously reported. Doctors have also warned against the practice of using cow dung to ward off COVID-19, Insider’s Sophia Ankel wrote. (Business Insider)