The health regulator said Monday that Zimbabwe will allow a drug usually dispensed to treat parasite infections in humans and livestock to be used in the treatment of Covid-19 patients only for research.

The drug is known as Ivermection, it works by combining itself to parts inside a parasite, by doing that it then paralyzes or kills the parasite and also stops the adult parasite from birthing new parasites. It’s highlights include ivermection coming in a from of a cream and lotion that one can apply on the skin to treat problematic skin. It also comes as a tablet that one can take through the mouth to treat parasitic infections of your intestinal tract, skin, and eyes.

Even though the drug is currently going through research and studies in the University of Oxford and current results show that it does reduce viruses in a respiratory tract and can lower the length of symptoms in those with mild infections, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe made the decision to only use it as a test to gather information of its safety and efficacy.

Rufaro Sihle Muyanga.