Photo: SAPS / Twitter
Photo: SAPS / Twitter
Bad news for those amongst us who are pinning their hopes on Ivermectin ridding the country of COVID-19: The top advisor to the South African government has dismissed calls for health authorities to approve the drug for usage on our shores, claiming that the evidence to support its virus-killing ability is ‘flimsy’.
Can Ivermectin cure COVID-19? Professor Karim is unconvinced…
Ivermectin has been creating a major buzz across the world, after preliminary studies showed that it had the potential to reduce mortality by over 80%. However, the research was flawed because of its small sample size and lack of a clear recommended dosage. For Professor Salim Abdool Karim, therein lies the problem.
He told JacarandaFM that there is ‘no compelling case for Ivermectin to be used as a COVID-19 treatment’. The professor informed listeners that the required dosage to prevent the virus would be so vast, it’d likely kill anyone who ingests it. Karim made it very clear that telling people to take Ivermectin – like AfriForum is doing – is ‘highly irresponsible’.
Salim Abdool Karim dismisses potential coronavirus treatment
“It is quite important when we end up with cases rising and doctors feeling helpless, they want a miracle cure. I understand frustrations, I do, but I’m not sure why Ivermectin has been chosen. It might be that the drug works, yes, but it also may not. However, the evidence is flimsy and there is no compelling case.”
“The studies are of a really poor quality. Looking at the scientific evidence, there’s no compelling case for this. The doctor who did the overall analysis has also said his evidence isn’t ‘sufficiently robust’. It has to be clearly stated that Ivermectin does not kill the virus: The amount of Ivermectin you need to kill the virus, will also kill you – it’s toxic to humans.”
“At this time, it is irresponsible to tell people to take Ivermectin. People in our industry have a responsibility to protect the public, and ensure that any medication on the market meets the highest standards…”
Professor Salim Abdool Karim
