evidence: Still listed in India as a possible treatment option for mild COVID-19 patients under home isolation Ivermectin, according to the World Health Organisation’s recent direction, is not recommended for general use. [...] "Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication. WHO recommends against use of ‘Ivermectin’ for COVID-19 except within clinical trials," Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, tweeted earlier this week. Indian physicians who continue to use this drug state that it is an approved anti-parasitic agent. "It has shown, in laboratory settings, to inhibit SARSCOV2 replication. It may be effective for the management of early onset, mild COVID-19 for adult patients. In a clinical setting, it is observed that there is an early viral clearance in patients who are put on Ivermectin. Symptomatically, there is no faster resolution observed, in terms of fever, cough, or sore throat despite the use of Ivermectin. There are no severe adverse effects noted in patients with non-severe COVID-19," said Vighnesh Naidu Y, consultant physician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad "Ivermectin is used for the treatment and eradication of two life-threatening illnesses which are onchocerciasis, responsible for blindness, and filariasis, which is debilitating," said Sheela Chakravarthy, director, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road.