Report says, Scientists in Australia have discovered that an already existing drug, Ivermectin, used in treating head lice kills coronavirus in the laboratory within 48 hours.
Researchers at Monash University who found out that a single dose of Ivermectin stops the SARS-CoV-2 virus growing in cell culture, disclosed that the drug has not yet been tested on persons infected with COVID-19.
According to British tabloid Daily Mail, the scientists warned that it could take at least a month before human trials start, noting that the next step is to determine the correct human dosage, to make sure the level used in vitro is safe for humans.
Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute stated;
‘We found that even a single dose could essentially remove all viral RNA (effectively removed all genetic material of the virus) by 48 hours and that even at 24 hours there was a really significant reduction in it,’
“Realistically it’s going to be a while before a vaccine is broadly available.’
It was gathered that, the drug, Ivermectin was discovered in 1975 and came into medical use in 1981 and has been used since the 1980s to treat and prevent diseases related to parasites in humans, pets and livestock, and works by paralysing invertebrate parasites.