Oxford University Testing Ivermectin, An Anti-Parasitic Drug, As Possible Treatment for COVID-19

By
Shannon Wee
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Singapore is amping up our national COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Gahmen has been encouraging us to get our vaccine when our turn is here.

To date, 49% of our entire population has been administered with at least the first dose.

Note though: Being fully vaccinated doesn’t mean you’re immune to the virus.

So, what if *touch wood* you’re tested positive for COVID-19. What kind of medical treatments can you get?

Well, an anti-parasitic drug is currently being studied as a suitable remedy for COVID-19.

Yup, the brainiacs around the world have been working hard in the labs to solve this humanitarian disaster.

Oxford University Testing Ivermectin, An Anti-Parasitic Drug, As Possible Treatment for COVID-19

On Wednesday (June 23), the University of Oxford said that trials are ongoing for an anti-parasitic drug, ivermectin. It’s currently being studied as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

A pilot initiative in laboratory studies indicated that ivermectin slowed down virus replication.

Hopefully, this will stop the virus from mutating into more variants.

Observations also showed that inducing the drug early may reduce the duration of symptoms in some patients with mild COVID-19.

Drug currently used to treat COVID-19 in some countries

At the moment, countries like India are using ivermectin to treat COVID-19. This is despite the World Health Organization recommending against employing it on patients.

On the contrary, the World Health Organization (WHO), and European and US regulators are not in favor of the drug.

Chris Butler, co-lead investigator of the trial, mentioned: “By including ivermectin in a large-scale trial like Principle, we hope to generate robust evidence to determine how effective the treatment is against Covid-19, and whether there are benefits or harms associated with its use.”

Investigated for trial

Several groups of people will be excluded from the trial as stated by the University of Oxford.

Such groups include:

  • People with chronic liver conditions
  • Those who are on blood-thinning medication
  • Individuals who are taking treatment co-related with ivermectin

Ivermectin is the seventh treatment to be under analysis in the trial. It is also currently being studied alongside antiviral drug favipiravir, the university added.

Currently, there are about 179 million COVID-19 cases globally. Close to 4 million lives have been lost due to the pandemic.

As restrictions ease in the gradual reopening in Phase 3 (Heightened Alert), may we continue to keep up our efforts in staying safe.

Remember what Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said? “Even after fires have been put out, so long as embers remain, they could easily spark another major flare-up.”

Featured Image: MIND AND I / Shutterstock.com

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Shannon Wee
Email: [email protected]