Does Ivermectin, a lice treatment, also work against COVID-19?
Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic agent that is mainly used against lice and scabies. It was recently shown at Monash University that a single dose of the drug Ivermectin can kill the COVID-19 virus in cell culture within 48 hours. The drug would remove the viral RNA from the virus.
However, there is still a long way to go because the dose at which the drug can kill the COVID-19 virus in humans is not known. Moreover, this dose must be safe and pose no danger to the people who have to take it. In Belgium, the drug is now mainly administered as a cream and not in the form of pills.
Further research is therefore needed, but ivermectin is not yet administered to people who have COVID-19.
Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2021-02-09 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024
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