Does Ivermectin Really Help Against COVID-19?
A group of US medics recommends Ivermectin, a highly regarded drug in Latin America, in the treatment of coronavirus, despite doubts about its effectiveness.
Despite all the recommendations and warnings, Ivermectin is still treated as a kind of “miracle cure” – especially in Latin America. An absolute hysteria began after Australian scientists published a report in June 2020 in the journal Antiviral Research claiming that the use of Ivermectin in a preclinical, in vitro study (meaning in the laboratory) led to a significant reduction in the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
Ivermectin is essentially used to treat parasitic diseases in animals and humans, and it is cheap and sold without a prescription. It is used against scabies or illnesses caused by parasites. It acts on the chloride channels by causing paralysis or death of the parasites.
Some health authorities oppose its use
Real, conclusive evidence of efficacy is currently lacking. However, in the meantime, according to Clinicaltrials.gov of the US National Library of Medicine, there are 41 antiparasitic studies, 14 of which have already been completed.
The World Health Organization and the US FDA do not recommend Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19, warning of side effects. In their view, further research is needed to prove whether Ivermectin may be suitable as a preventative or cure for coronavirus.
SAHRA, the South African Drug Administration, issued a use warning in December 2020: there is no confirmed data on effective COVID-19 treatment with ivermectin. In terms of safety and efficacy, there is no evidence to support the use of Ivermectin, nor any clinical studies that would justify its use.
Support from American medics
The Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), based in the US state of Wisconsin, was founded in March with a completely different valuation. This alliance of intensive care physicians aims to develop and evaluate COVID-19 treatment protocols based on records, current and optimized. The result actually sounds like a miracle tool, which has long been known, available almost everywhere and, on top of that, it is also cheap.
