Doctors have cautioned that the medicine should be avoided by children and pregnant women while others should not consume it without taking a professional advice regarding its dosage.
Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, can be used by patients who are in home isolation after contracting COVID-19 infection as a 'support medicine', doctors have said.
Though not a treatment for COVID-19, it can be used as a supporting medicine, which boosts immunity and does not have known side-effects, Hindustan Times reported.
"In Australia, researchers claimed the viral load went down 5,000 times in 48 hours with this medicine taken in combination. A Bangladesh scientist also claimed a similar effect. At present, research on this medicine is being carried out at 28 places," Dr Kauser Usman, senior faculty at King George’s Medical University (KGMU), told the paper.
However, doctors have cautioned that the medicine should be avoided by children and pregnant women, while others should not consume it without taking professional advice regarding its dosage.
"Ivermectin is a medication that has been used to treat worms for years. There are no known side-effects. But its consumption should not be taken as a complete safety against infection as research is still going on," Abhishek Shukla, Secretary General, Association of International Doctors, said.
According to a study, published in the Journal Antiviral Research in April, Ivermectin stopped the virus, SARS-CoV-2, from growing in cell culture within 48 hours.
However, those involved with the study had cautioned that the tests conducted in the study were in vitro and that trials needed to be carried out in people.