THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The use of Ivermectin as a prophylaxis in treating COVID-19 has not received the full endorsement of the medical fraternity in the State.
A day before the government begins to distribute the drug as a prophylaxis for COVID-19, there were questions raised over its effectiveness to combat the virus.
Microbiologist Dr Dhaval Phatarpekar was clear that Ivemectin is an anti-parasite drug and will not act against the virus and wondered whether it would follow the fate of the plasma therapy. “Now the latest decision is to remove plasma therapy from its protocol for the treatment of COVID-19 patients,” Phatarpekar said.
It was also pointed out that hydroxychloroquine, which was an anti-malaria drug and was used for COVID, has also now been discontinued.
Phatarpekar stressed that as per the recent study by World Health Organisation chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Ivemectin is not very effective for treating COVID-19 patients.
“Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication. WHO recommends against the use of Ivermectin for COVID-19 except within clinical trials,” Swaminathan had said in her tweet, a day after Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had announced the use of Ivermectin as a prophylactic treatment.
Another doctor, now retired from government service, said the effectiveness of Ivermectin in COVID cases is not known.
A private practitioner said the use of Ivermectin can create a sense of false security among people, who may think that they have obtained immunity after consuming the tablets.
Former GMC Dean and eminent obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr M N Pal, said that though there are different opinions on the use of Ivemectin, it is a safe drug and can be used as it does not cause death. But he hinted that it could meet the fate of plasma therapy, which has now been found to be ineffective in treating coronavirus patients and dropped by the task force on COVID-19 management.
Ivermectin, however, has already been included in the COVID kit provided to COVID-19 patients under home isolation. The government on Monday announced that it would be distributing the drug to houses within 48 hours.
Margao’s Dr Venkatesh Hegde said that it is advisable to take Ivermectin as it helps prevent getting major infections to the lungs. “There are side effects to all drugs and Ivermectin too has side effects. But comparatively, it is a safe drug and it definitely prevents getting infected,” he said. Hegde also said Ivermectin tablets were used before to prevent lung infection.
