Louisville kidney doctor’s tweet against anti-vaxxer’s urine COVID cure goes viral

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A UofL Health doctor warning people of an anti-vaccine advocate’s suggestion to drink urine in order to cure COVID-19 is making the rounds on social media.

On Monday, Dr. Jon Klein from the University of Louisville School of Medicine crafted a response advising against a claim by Alabama anti-vaccine advocate Christopher Key, who released a video message over the weekend to followers stating that consuming urine is the “antidote” to the virus.

Klein is a professor of medicine and vice dean of research at UofL Health specializing in the study of kidney disease treatment.

“I’m a kidney doctor,” Klein tweeted on Monday. “I’ve studied how the kidneys make urine for 39 years. Do not, I repeat do not, drink urine to treat COVID. That is all.”

Since the tweet was sent, it has been liked more than 80,000 times and retweeted more than 10,000 times as of Wednesday evening, even grabbing the attention of celebrities like actor and comedian Patton Oswalt.

Health officials and local leaders have continued to stress vaccinations as a safe and effective way to combat the spread of COVID-19 and prevent hospitalizations.