Goa will provide Ivermectin to its residents to stop the spread of COVID-19

The health minister of Goa, Vishwajit Rane announced on May 10, 2021, that all Goa residents above 18 years will be given Ivermectin irrespective of their coronavirus status. All adults will be given Ivermectin (12 mg) for a period of five days as a measure to prevent COVID-19 infection.
The medicine will be distributed through government health care centres where people can collect and start the medication. Ivermectin is used to treat parasitic roundworm infections like intestinal strongyloidiasis and river blindness. Experts from the UK, Italy, Spain, and Japan have conducted 27 controlled trials to check the efficacy of Ivermectin. They found a significant reduction in mortality, time to recovery, and viral clearance in COVID-19 patients treated with Ivermectin. The usage of the drug by medical professionals is approved by South Africa, Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Mexico, and India. But the WHO and the US FDA have not approved it for COVID-19 treatment and warns that the intake of large doses can be dangerous. The US Food and Drug Administration has only approved Ivermectin to be used as an anti-parasitic drug.