Iran has become the second center of contagion of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), outside of China, yet authorities and clerics in the country have refused to take the matter seriously.

A local cleric from the Iranian city of Qom, the city at the center of the outbreak and where many Arabs had been visiting at the time of the spread, has suggested a "cure" for the new coronavirus. This so-called cure is the rectal administration of violet leaf oil. The essential oil is believed to ease pain, specifically for muscular and joint problems. It can also be used for coughs, bronchitis, colds, and sore throats.

For most coronavirus patients, the virus begins and ends in the lungs. So maybe that's why the Iranian cleric thought the oil could be a preventive measure. But then again, what does the application to the anus have anything to do with that?

Twitter users have been sharing cleric Ayatollah Tabrizian's post, which was reportedly shared on the social messaging service Telegram to over 120,000 followers. In it, the cleric accused Western medicine of being "un-Islamic." Instead, he listed several alternative techniques for fighting the novel coronavirus.