Coronavirus: anti-parasitic drug ivermectin is hot property in Indonesia, Malaysia, India as Delta variant spreads
- Some officials and independent medical groups have hailed it as a ‘miracle cure’ amid rising infections and low vaccination rates in the region
- This is even as the WHO says evidence on the use of the deworming drug to treat Covid-19 patients is ‘inconclusive’
Pharmacies across the country are reporting a boom in sales of the medication, and it has been sold out on e-commerce sites such as Bukalapak and Shopee. “People have been flocking to buy it,” said a pharmacist at Penang Island Pharmacy in the city of Medan in North Sumatra, who did not want to be named.
Moeldoko, Indonesia’s Presidential Chief of Staff, on Monday said while ivermectin was traditionally used to treat parasites such as worms, the pandemic had now reached a critical phase.
The Southeast Asian country has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the region, recording over 2.1 million infections and more than 58,000 deaths. On Wednesday, it reported its biggest daily jump of 21,807 infections.
“Looking at the data we have available, we are quite optimistic that ivermectin can be an effective drug solution to cure Covid patients,” Moeldoko said, claiming it had been effectively used in 15 other countries to treat the virus.
02:41
Indonesia hits record daily Covid-19 caseload as total infections pass 2 million
Susi Pudjiastuti, the widely popular former maritime and fisheries minister, has also praised the drug. In a video uploaded on Twitter on Wednesday, Pudjiastuti said she had taken ivermectin with paracetamol and vitamins after a Covid-19 scare, during which she opted to self isolate as hospitals in Jakarta were full.