Ivermectin is a medication that has gained popularity as one ‘cure’ for Covid-19, especially among the anti-vaccination community. How does this happen? There are some dubious researchers and campaigners’ claims that state ivermectin is the cure to end the Covid. Before we dive into details how ivermectin come to be known as the cure for Covid-19, let’s discover a bit more about ivermectin, shall we?

What is ivermectin?

Ivermectin is a medication the is commonly used to treat parasite infestations. It is used to treat head lice, scabies, river blindness, strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis, and lymphatic filariasis in human while in veterinary medicine, it is used to prevent and treat heart worm, and acariasis.

Ivermectin is a cheap, over the counter drug that one can get at any pharmacies. In the U.S., there has been reports of an increase demand for the drug, with people seeking ivermectin as a possible Covid treatment.

How does it become a covid ‘cure’?

So far there are no clinical evidence that ivermectin could actually treat or prevent Covid-19, yet ever since researchers showed ivermectin could kill the virus that caused Covid in the laboratory, there has been interest whether the drug would work similarly in the human body.

However, many health agencies have warned against people taking the drug as an option to treat the Covid-19 as there are no concrete evidence that it actually works in treating or protecting your body from getting the Covid-19 virus. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it had not approved the use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19 and has warned that large doses of the drug are ‘dangerous and can cause serious harm’.

The delta variant which are more transmissible and deadly has caused a wave of panic, causing more people to take ivermectin intended for animals as word spread on social media about the drug’s possible use against Covid. These are likely due to the fact that they are unable to get or are unwilling to get prescriptions intended for human.

Effects of ivermectin in your body

Little is known about the effect that this drug does to the human body, and the little information that has been gathered so far are from its use in animals.

If taken at a recommended dose, your body is able to tolerate it. However, there might be some mild side effects that comes with it, such as diarrhoea, nausea, dizziness and sleepiness. Less common, but serious, side-effects include severe skin rashes and effects on the nervous system (causing tremor, confusion and drowsiness). If one takes more than the recommended dosage, the side effects can be more severe. These includes low blood pressure, problems with balance, seizures, liver injury, and it can even induce comas.

According to The Conversation, a hospital in Sydney says it has treated a patient who overdosed after taking ivermectin. The person went to hospital seeking treatment for diarrhoea and vomiting side-effects, after taking the drug, which is usually used to treat parasites. The person had ordered this and other unproven COVID “cures” online.

All in all, ivermectin should not be taken or considered as an alternative to preventing or treating the Covid-19. Instead, people should get themselves vaccinated to fully protect themselves and their love ones from Covid. Ivermectin does not prevent Covid, but getting vaccinated can prevent death.