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Updated April 4th, 2020 at 19:48 IST

COVID-19: Widely-used anti-parasitic drug kills coronavirus in 48 hours in lab settings

Researchers have found out that a common anti-parasitic drug killed SARS-CoV-2 virus growing in the cell culture like the COVID-19, in just 48 hours in the lab.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
COVID-19
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While the coronavirus outbreak is sweeping across the globe due to lack of effective vaccine, researchers at Monash University found out that a common anti-parasitic drug killed SARS-CoV-2 virus growing in the cell culture like the COVID-19, in just 48 hours in lab settings. The study published on the official website on April 3 said that the use of ‘Ivermectin’ to combat the coronavirus now depends on pre-clinical and clinical trials. 

According to the official website, the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute’s Dr Kylie Wagstaff, who led the study said, “We found that even a single dose could essentially remove all viral RNA by 48 hours and that even at 24 hours there was a really significant reduction in it.”

She added, “Ivermectin is very widely used and seen as a safe drug. We need to figure out now whether the dosage you can use it at in humans will be effective, that’s the next step.”

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Ivermectin is FDA-approved drug

The study was based on Ivermectin, an FDA-approved anti-parasitic drug’s action on SARS-CoV-2 virus, Wagstaff believes that if approved treatment is not available for the pandemic, an already available compound will provide help sooner. The drug has been used to treat other in-vitro viruses including HIV, Dengue, Influenza, Zika virus and is widely used because it is viewed as “safe drug”. 

“In times when we’re having a global pandemic and there isn’t an approved treatment, if we had a compound that was already available around the world then that might help people sooner. Realistically it’s going to be a while before a vaccine is broadly available,” Wagstaff said.

Coronavirus outbreak

After originating from China’s “wet markets”, the coronavirus has now claimed over 59,226 lives worldwide as of April 4. According to the tally by international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 205 countries and has infected at least 1,118,559 people. Out of the total infections, 229,274 have been recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries and the economy is struggling. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared the coronavirus as a global pandemic on March 11 while the virus has now spread to all continents except Antarctica, resulting in thousands of deaths worldwide. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom further even urged all nations to get very serious over the issue and take all necessary measures to contain the virus from spreading at this rate. Tedros said, that the word 'Pandemic' cannot be used lightly or carelessly due to its strong connotation. 

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Published April 4th, 2020 at 19:58 IST

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