Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity has been searching for effective treatments and preventatives for the virus. Responses have ranged from the wearing of facemasks and “social distancing” to the development of new vaccines and treatments. Researchers have also looked at existing medications to see if they can be helpful in combating the illness.
One existing medication has received considerable attention recently: ivermectin, an antiparasitic that is widely used in the developing world. Many commentators, including several health officials, have dismissed the drug’s usefulness against COVID. Yet, these dismissals seldom cite empirical evidence, or if they do, they don’t detail the findings.
Ivermectin works through a variety of mechanisms to kill the targeted parasites. Some of those mechanisms have also been found to attack single‐strand RNA viruses like SARS‐CoV‑2, which causes COVID. That led scientists to test the medication in vitro, finding that it does in fact kill the virus in cell cultures.
Because ivermectin has been around for decades, can be taken as an oral pill, is safe, and is now off‐patent and therefore cheap, it would be an ideal drug to give to COVID patients — if it is, in fact, effective in the body and not just in the petri dish. Is it?
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The "Horse Paste" episode from the media was all most of us needed to be convinced to the utility of this wonder drug.
Having dispensed it for decades, I was already aware of the anti-viral uses which were in effect, well known.
Have you seen the latest attempt to debunk it? It's actually funny if it weren't heartbreaking. I'll try to find it.