Oxford University To Test Inexpensive, At-Home ‘Wonder Drug’ That Could Reduce Covid Deaths

In a bid to reduce Covid-19 death rates, Oxford University researchers are planning a large-scale trial of an inexpensive drug that could drastically reduce global death rates.

The Times said in a report while the drug has been hailed by many as the ‘wonder drug’, others have said it has not been properly evaluated yet.

The report said that this batch of medicines will include ivermectin, used primarily to treat livestock and people infested with parasitic worms.

The trial seeks is to find at-home treatments to catch the disease early and prevent serious illness soon after the symptoms appear.

Shedding light on the properties of the new drug, Chris Butler, professor of primary care at the University of Oxford said that while the drug has potent antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, there’s a gap in the data. He also emphasised that the drug has not undergone a rigorous trial.

However, contrary to Butler’s take, the World Health Organization suggested that the drug has encouraging effects.

The medicine works by blocking the entry of a protein into a cell’s nuclei, limiting the replication capacity of the virus.

“It could save thousands of lives a day,” said Paul Marik, from the Eastern Virginia Medical School. “The data is compelling: across Mexico, India, and South America, mortality has fallen.”

The drug is approved in the U.K. as a topical agent for skin infections and inflammation.

The trial is looking for people aged 65 and over, or those aged over 50 who have underlying health conditions, through general practitioners, online, and through the UK’s NHS Test and Trace system, Arab News Reported. (Courtesy: https://www.news18.com/)