When we all thought that we need a super medication against COVID, what this country did just dismantle the pandemic worry about.
The Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency or BPOM has granted the Emergency Use Authorization for anti-parasitic drug ivermectin on July 15, 2021, as the therapeutic drug to support the Covid-19 treatment.
The country was at its worst-case scenario epidemic according to its officials as the medical authorities were desperate to control the outbreak and Indonesia has 277 million people and is considered to be the world’s fourth most populous country.
The Strait Times reported:
The Indonesian government on Thursday (July 15) began distributing free medicine and vitamins to self-isolating Covid-19 patients in high-risk areas as the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus continued to rip through the country, emptying pharmacy shelves.
Each package will have seven days worth of therapeutic Covid-19 drugs and vitamins and will be given to asymptomatic patients as well as those with mild to moderate symptoms including fever and dry cough. The medication for the latter group will require consultation with a doctor and a prescription.
Medical facilities are stretched thin, and demand for oxygen and medication has also soared. As scores of people are isolating themselves at home and self-medicating, prices of drugs have shot up in pharmacies and online. The health ministry has since moved to cap the prices of drugs such as favipiravir, remdesivir, and ivermectin.
On the other hand, Health Feedback has said:
Clinical trials didn’t show a clear benefit of ivermectin in reducing COVID-19 severity, hospitalization rate, or mortality. Epidemiological evidence also doesn’t indicate that ivermectin helped curb the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Indonesia or other countries. However, these countries implemented other measures that have proven effective in limiting the spread of the virus, including vaccination and restrictions, which likely contributed to the decline in COVID-19 cases.
Simply because two events coincide in time doesn’t necessarily mean that one caused the other. Firstly, ivermectin endorsement doesn’t tell us whether the Indonesian population used ivermectin more than populations in other countries.
Secondly, even if they use of ivermectin did increase following the recommendation, we still can’t assess whether the drop in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia was due to the use of ivermectin or to other factors. Epidemiological data from countries that recommended ivermectin, such as India and Peru, doesn’t indicate that promoting the drug reduced the spread of the disease or its death toll. Both countries experienced multiple COVID-19 waves with high mortality throughout 2020 and 2021, and both withdrew ivermectin recommendations in 2021.
Wait, so we can’t use Ivermectin because “We don’t have enough data,”
But..
“Let’s vaccinate children to see how safe the vaccine is because we don’t have enough data.”
Did I understand that correctly?
— Dr. Doug Corrigan (@ScienceWDrDoug) October 28, 2021
It ws initially developed for human use, more than four decades ago. You wouldnt know that because you consume anything corporate media feeds you as the truth. Sad
— Trevor Kotze (@blackjoe929) October 17, 2021
Ironic, isn’t it?
Here is the current number of COVID cases in Namibia:
Lastly, BBC has reported:
“In this time of crisis, advanced countries need to do more in helping poor countries get vaccines so that we can overcome this pandemic together.”
Mr. Widodo’s comments come as Indonesia attempts to recover from the ravages of the pandemic.
The COVID situation has improved since then, with both deaths and case numbers falling, according to government data.
The vaccination drive has also picked up. According to the latest data from the World Bank, Indonesia has given more than 100 million doses of vaccines in the country, with almost 30% of the population fully vaccinated – no easy feat in a huge archipelago.
But while urban areas like Jakarta are now seeing high levels of vaccination rates, rural areas are harder to get to.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The Straigh Times, Health FeedBack, BBC