(Image source from: www.who.int)

With the constant research going on with the development of the vaccines and possible treatment of the novel coronavirus, the researchers from the Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) at Monash University in Australia have come up with a breakthrough.

The researchers found that a parasitic medication, Ivermectin has the potential to kill the novel coronavirus within just 48 hours of the laboratory setting.

Monash University, in collaboration with the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity led the study.

Ivermectin is a drug that has been approved by the FDA as an anti-parasitic medication. The drug has been tested against a number of different viruses including HIV, dengue, influenza as well as the Zika virus.

As per the observations from the study, it has been found that the drug has the potential of stop the spread and activity of the novel coronavirus in two days in the culture.

Dr Kylie Wagstaff, who is a scientist working in the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute stated saying, “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.”

The mechanism of action of this anti-parasitic drug on the novel coronavirus is still unknown to the scientists. But, according to the mode of action on some of the other viruses, the scientists believe that it is likely that the same could block the action of the novel coronavirus by impacting the action of the host cells to clear it.

While this has been done in a laboratory setting for now, further clinical research and human administration of the drug is going to be required to validate the safety and the impacts of this anti-parastic drug for fighting the novel coronavirus.

The next phase of the study is to find the correct and permissible dosage for the condition to ensure maximum safety for the in-vitro usage.

Dr. Wagstaff further stated saying, “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.”

In a situation where a global pandemic has set a lot of lives in danger, having access to a possible treatment options that are already available is a better way to combat this situation than anything else.

The development of a vaccine is definitely going to take time, so having possibly available treatments at hand can help ensure faster cure in no time at all.

By Somapika Dutta