Australian scientists have found that an antiviral drug called ‘Ivermectin’ was able to kill coronavirus grown in cell cultures in less than 48 hours.
Ivermectin is a medication used to treat many types of parasite infestations.
Thisstudy comes as researchers and scientists are scouring drugs that can be repurposed or used to treat the novel coronavirus.
The study, published in the journal Antiviral Research, stated that Ivermectin was able to kill the virus in less than two days.
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The study further said that the anti-parasitic drug significantly reduced the viral load in 24 hours.
Ivermectin is an approved anti-parasitic drug known to be effective against a variety of viruses like HIV, influenza, dengue, and Zika.
The researchers cautioned that more testing needs to be done to be sure of the drug’s efficacy against Covid-19.
Even though the drug is considered largely safe, the scientists at the Monash University in Australia who conducgted the study, are yet to ascertain the correct dosage and effects to understand its efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.
The researchers believe that instead of finding new ways to treat the infection, scientists should focus on tweaking the existing treatment in order to prevent the infection.
The researchers, however, did not say how Ivermectin was able to destroy Covid-19, but they believe that the drug inhibits Covid-19 replication.