The rise of the Covid-19 pandemic has acted as a unifying force around the world, with nations rising to the challenge to deliver vital vaccines.
But a public health crisis which has stretched on for more than two years has also led to distrust and division, with anti-vaccine sentiment intensifying under the glare of social media.
In the early stages of the pandemic, anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was embraced by some as a magic cure for Covid-19 after being championed by former US President Donald Trump.
More recently, ivermectin has emerged as a potential saviour for those opposed to vaccination.
Earlier this week, Reuters was forced to correct a report claiming ivermectin was effective in the treatment of Covid-19.
It is not the first time the drug has generated controversy. But what is it? And why do people keep saying it can cure the disease?
The National explains.
What is ivermectin?
It is a deworming drug mainly used by vets. But it can be used in humans and is approved for treating infections caused by some types of parasitic worms, as well as head lice and a skin condition called rosacea.
It is not, however, approved for use in the treatment of Covid-19. And many regulators, including the US Food and Drug Administration and its counterpart in Mexico, have specifically issued warnings against doing so as it has not been shown to be effective against the coronavirus as a treatment in people.
So where did the idea that it works come from?
It all started early after the onset of the pandemic in 2020, when research showed it was effective in killing the virus in vitro, which means in a test tube, essentially.
But what works in a lab does not always work in a person. And that is what happened in the case of ivermectin. Clinical trials showed it did not help treat the disease.
An analysis of available studies found that more than a third of the 26 major trials into its use against Covid had “serious errors or signs of fraud”, according to the BBC.
Covid-19 around the world - in pictures
The rest provided no persuasive evidence it was effective. Dr Syed Rabbani, a specialist in internal medicine at NMC Royal Hospital, Sharjah, said while it was initially believed to hold promise, it has not been proved that it works.
A colleague at the hospital echoed those thoughts.
“There is very limited evidence for the benefit of ivermectin for Covid-19 treatment or [as a] prophylaxis,” said Dr Ram Shukla, specialist physician in infectious diseases at the Sharjah hospital.
“Most of the evidence is very low quality and further robust studies are needed before recommending it for treatment for Covid-19.
“Lack of effective data and possible drug interaction may lead to dose variations and harm. The available level of evidence does not justify use of ivermectin for treatment or [as a] prophylaxis for Covid-19,” he said.
Why is it still touted as a cure by some?
Because many against vaccination — widely known as anti-vaxxers — have seized on its potential to treat the disease. They include people like Laurence Fox, a British actor who recently said he was taking the drug to treat his symptoms while making light of the virus.
It has also been promoted by many conservative politicians in the US. That has led to a surge in calls to poison control centres about overdoses related to its use in the treatment for Covid.
In large doses it can cause vomiting, seizures and even kill.
What reignited the controversy around the drug?
Earlier this week, Reuters, a news agency, was forced to issue a correction after erroneously claiming a phase 3 trial into the use of the drug against Covid showed it was effective.
A press release from Japanese pharmaceutical company Kowa, which is conducting a study into the drug, detailed information about preclinical work it had conducted, which showed Ivermectin was still effective in vitro against Omicron.
“All this report is saying is that … *in a lab* … ivermectin retains its antiviral properties again Omicron,” tweeted Dr Alastair McAlpine, paediatric infectious diseases doctor.
“Which is hardly blockbuster news. But as we know, this has not translated into meaningful data in humans. This report changes nothing.”
The Reuters story, which claimed ivermectin was “effective”, remained online for hours on Monday before a correction was issued.
The news agency service told Newsweek: “The original Reuters story misstated that ivermectin was 'effective' against Omicron in Phase III clinical trials, which are conducted in humans.
“We corrected this to clarify it had an 'antiviral effect' against Omicron and it was shown in joint non-clinical research. After being made aware of the error, we corrected our story immediately.”
The correction came too late and created further confusion by conservative anti-vaxxers, who latched on to the news and shared it widely.
They included the controversial US podcaster, Joe Rogan. He shared the news on his Twitter account, with the comment “Well, lookie here”.
He has since deleted the tweet.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
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Specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%20turbo%204-cylinder%20%2F%202.0%20turbo%204-cylinder%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20148bhp%20%2F%20328bhp%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20250Nm%20%2F%20420Nm%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20TBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20front-axle%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E218hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%20(claimed)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh215%2C000%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
The bio:
Favourite holiday destination: I really enjoyed Sri Lanka and Vietnam but my dream destination is the Maldives.
Favourite food: My mum’s Chinese cooking.
Favourite film: Robocop, followed by The Terminator.
Hobbies: Off-roading, scuba diving, playing squash and going to the gym.
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The%20Mother%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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more from Janine di Giovanni
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
