Ivermectin labelled ‘possible treatment’ 29 months into pandemic

Under “COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines,” the National Health Institute’s (NIH) website lists ivermectin as “an antiparasitic drug that is being evaluated to treat COVID-19.”

The NIH’s current evaluation suggests ivermectin can be used to treat the novel coronavirus. “Reports from in vitro studies suggest that ivermectin acts by inhibiting host importin alpha/beta-1 nuclear transport proteins, which are part of a key intracellular transport process,” the listing reads. “Viruses hijack the process and enhance infection by suppressing the host’s antiviral response. In addition, ivermectin docking may interfere with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein attachment to the human cell membrane. Some studies of ivermectin have also reported potential anti-inflammatory properties, which have been postulated to be beneficial in people with COVID-19.”