Frequently asked questions about Ivermectin

The drug Ivermectin has been used against scabies, malaria and river blindness for decades. In 2015, its inventors were awarded the Nobel Prize for its positive effects on human health worldwide. Billions of files have already been issued and it has a very high security profile. It is also prescribed for scabies in the Netherlands. It is simply available at the pharmacy. Ivermectin was already known to have an anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effect. In April 2020, it was demonstrated in vitro (in laboratory) that Ivermectin works well against SARS-CoV-2.

Yes. Based on the current data, it can be said with great certainty that Ivermectin is effective. It has a strong preventive effect, accelerates recovery from illness and reduces the mortality risk by an average of 75% (Hill et al. 2021). In addition, there are strong indications that Ivermectin prevents so-called 'long-covid'.

Ivermectin is part of the treatment for COVID-19 in the following countries or certain regions:

Yes. Ivermectin is a very safe medicine. The drug is on the WHO's list of essential medicines. Billions of files have now been provided.

Yes. Ivermectin works against new variants of the coronavirus. This is a technical story that has to do with the effect that Ivermectin has on the so-called 'spike protein' in the cell.

The research is of sufficient quality to state with certainty that Ivermectin is safe and effective with COVID-19. In addition to many observational studies and data analyzes, there are now 35 controlled studies, of which 17 are randomized controlled (RCT). This includes studies of good and less good quality. However, all of these studies show that Ivermectin is effective against COVID-19. However, more research on Ivermectin is needed to determine its effectiveness even more accurately.

In more and more countries, experts are advising to treat COVID-19 with Ivermectin. In the Netherlands, Ivermectin came into the picture in mid-December. However, the current advice of the Antibiotic Policy Working Group (SWAB) is hardly substantiated. The statement is that there is not enough evidence, but only 4 scientific studies are referred to. The study overview of the Federation of Medical Specialists (FMS), which draws up the treatment guideline together with the SWAB, also contains only 1 study on Ivermectin. This while the total number of publications is already above 50.

304 covid patients took part in the largest RCT (randomized controlled trial). Much other research is on a smaller scale. In addition, some studies focus on the preventive effect of Ivermectin on health care personnel or family members, while other studies try to determine the treatment effect on patients with mild or severe symptoms.

No. Almost all research shows that Ivermectin has a preventive effect and accelerates recovery from illness, significantly reduces the risk of death and is safe to use. Collectively, these studies include thousands of people. The evidence for Ivermectin is considerably stronger than that for Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, which may be used (conditionally) in hospitals. Waiting for more research means that people will die who otherwise could have been treated effectively. The pressure on hospitals is currently great and waiting for more research does not help sick covid patients.

It is best to ask your doctor to prescribe Ivermectin in case of illness. However, many doctors are not aware of the effective effect of Ivermectin and are not aware of the recent research results. They therefore follow the standard treatment guidelines. What can help is to ask your doctor to view the Kory et al. (2020) manuscript or the website www.covid19criticalcare.com. This group of prominent US physicians advocate the use of Ivermectin.