Ivermectin is basically an anti-parasitic whereas COVID-19 is caused by a virus. Parasites are organisms that live on or inside other living things by absorbing the nutrients of the living things they inhabit, without any benefit to these living things such as worms or protozoa.
While viruses are living things in the smallest size that reproduce inside the infected host cell and the host cell is forced to produce thousands of identical copies of the virus in a short time.
According to several studies that were collected as well as research that was applied directly to the COVID-19 pandemic in countries such as India, ivermectin has shown benefits as a COVID-19 drug. However, this research is still limited to clinical trials and requires further research.
According to WHO, the current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive. Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used in clinical trials related to the treatment of COVID-19.
Citing BPOM, ivermectin used without medical indications and without a doctor’s prescription in the long term can cause side effects, including muscle/joint pain, skin rash, fever, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, drowsiness, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
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