S’poreans Advised Against Taking Deworming Drug To Treat Covid-19 As It Isn’t Approved

Singaporeans Buy Ivermectin To Treat Covid-19 Despite Inconclusive Evidence

Covid-19 has firmly gripped the world for almost 2 years now, and researchers are still endeavouring to discover a cure.

Perhaps out of desperation, some have resorted to consuming drugs that are not scientifically proven to be effective against the Covid-19 virus.

In particular, some Singapore residents have reportedly been purchasing an unproven anti-parasite drug called Ivermectin.

Source

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has since issued an advisory urging Singaporeans not to self-medicate with the drug.

Some Singaporeans buy Ivermectin for Covid-19 via Telegram

Recently, some Singaporeans have been buying a drug named Ivermectin that’s believed to treat Covid-19, reports TODAY Online.

Source 

Ivermectin is often used to treat parasite infestations. While humans can consume small doses for infestations like head lice, some animals like horses require larger doses of the drug.

Since Ivermectin cannot be bought over the counter in Singapore, some have resorted to purchasing it in bulk from other countries, such as India. They’d reportedly do so through a Telegram group chat.

Checks conducted by MS News on 8 Sep show that users were still spreading information about Ivermectin being a Covid-19 cure.

Image from Telegram group 

Several have also indicated their interest to obtain Ivermectin from other countries.

Image from Telegram group

Health authorities advise against taking Ivermectin for Covid-19

In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned that Ivermectin should only be used to treat Covid-19 in clinical trials.

It also said that evidence of Ivermectin’s effectiveness against Covid-19 is “inconclusive”.

Speaking to TODAY Online, HSA warned that self-medicating with the parasitical drug can be dangerous.

Consuming large doses of the drug could reportedly result in symptoms such as:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • diarrhoea
  • hypotension
  • allergic reactions
  • dizziness
  • ataxia
  • seizures
  • coma

And sometimes, even death. The authorities take a serious view of anyone selling or supplying drugs like Ivermectin in Singapore.

Beware of fake news & speculations

While the burning desire for a Covid-19 cure is understandable, we hope Singaporeans will practise caution against unproven drugs as they might cause more harm than good.

When it comes to information on Covid-19, refer to trusted sources and do not rely solely on hearsay or unverified sources.

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