Major Study Finds Ivermectin Has No Medical Benefit Against Covid-19

A major study has concluded what doctors and scientists have been trying to say for months: ivermectin does nothing against the coronavirus.

Fringe groups, conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers have been claiming the de-worming medicine is a wonder drug in combating Covid-19.

Not only have these people erroneously suggested that ivermectin can help prevent you from getting sick, but they also allege it can speed up the recovery process if you get infected.

But the TOGETHER study, which was a worldwide project that involved loads of clinical trials, has concluded that there is no medical benefit to taking ivermectin in relation to coronavirus.

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The investigation looked at a range of drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, metformin, fluvoxamine, and pegylated interferon, to see if they could provide any defence or solution to Covid-19.

In order to fully ascertain what were the best and worst medicines, researchers conducted a 'double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial', according to The Age.

More than 3,500 Covid-19 patients at clinics in Brazil were given ivermectin in the study.

Not only were they prescribed the medicine, but they were also provided with 'the highest dose of the drug considered medically justifiable'.

The study's co-author, Craig Rayner, said: "We found that treatment with ivermectin did not reduce the need for medical admissions to hospital settings for COVID-19 patients.

“We examined it from multiple angles, multiple sub-group analyses, and ultimately, there is no suggestion of important clinical efficacy from ivermectin on COVID-19.”

Hydroxychloroquine and metformin provided no benefit either, however fluvoxamine and pegylated interferon was shown to have good efficacy against Covid-19 symptoms.

Ivermectin helps get rid of parasites, mites and worms in animals like horses and has been used on humans for scabies and other issues.

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At the beginning of the pandemic, there was one study that suggested it could be used to combat Covid-19, however no other investigations have been able to find any benefit that have later been positively peer-reviewed.

The Cochrane Library released arguably the best study into the use of ivermectin for coronavirus and found people shouldn't be taking it.

The University of Sydney's Professor Andrew McLachlan explained: "The Cochrane Library is really the Olympics of evaluating evidence, this is the group that sets the highest standard and reviews the best trials.

"Their analysis is that there's not enough information at this stage to decide whether or not Ivermectin is effective in preventing or treating Covid and it is not recommended until we know further information about that."

The TOGETHER study has now compounded what experts have been saying for a while now.

Several Aussie politicians have tried to get ivermectin confirmed as a Covid-19 drug, with Nationals MP George Christensen even begging the head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration to get it approved.

This latest study confirms exactly why that shouldn't happen.

Topics: News, Coronavirus

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Senior Journalist at LADbible. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign. He is in charge of the LADbible Australia editorial content and social presence.

@stewartperrie