Big B claims COVID-19 spreads through flies, health ministry disagrees

Mumbai, March 26 (IANS) Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan tweeted a video where he talks of Chinese experts discovering that the common housefly, which sits on excreta, can transmit the coronavirus. However, the health ministry disagrees.

The video was retweeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports hindustantimes.com.



"Chinese experts have discovered that the coronavirus can survive in human excreta for weeks. Even if the patients recover fully, the virus can survive in his excreta for a few weeks. If a fly were to sit on such a person's excreta, and then sit on fruits, vegetables or other food items, the disease can spread further," says Bachchan in Hindi, in the video posted on Wednesday, where he calls for a Jan Andolan in the lines of Swachch Bharat Andolan under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the polio eradication movement, to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Lav Aggarwal, ministry of health and family welfare's joint secretary Lav Aggrawal, dismissed the idea at a press conference on Thursday, reports republicworld.com.

Commenting on Bachchan's tweet about coronavirus spreading through flies, Aggarwal said: "I have not seen his tweet, but technically I can say that this is an infectious disease and does not spread through flies."



Along with the video in the tweet, Big B also posted a message quoting a study in The Lancet.

"T 3481 - A study in the @TheLancet shows that coronavirus lingers on human excreta much longer than in respiratory samples. Come on India, We are going to fight this! Use your toilet: Har koi, har Roz, Tamesha. Darwaza Band toh Beemari Band! @swachhbharat @narendramodi @PMOIndia" went the message by @SrBachchan.

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