LETTER: Our nation recorded one of the highest daily Covid-19 cases on July 25 with 17,045 cases. The accumulated total is now over a million. Death toll is over 8,000.
The infective and death rates have been rising over the weeks despite Malaysians and the business community complying to lockdown regulations, giving fodder to criticism that our government has failed to control the epidemic.
However, critics, including opposition politicians, did not say which aspect of the execution our government had failed; or what and how they would do differently if they were in power.
Malaysia Alliance For Effective Covid Control (MAECC) would like to reiterate – Allow Ivermectin under emergency use authorisation (EUA) along with the vaccination programme.
Allow it for general practitioners' clinics early outpatient treatment. Had the EUA for Ivermectin been allowed months ago, the epidemic would have been brought under control.
This can be seen in several countries where Ivermectin was effectively used to control the spread of the disease, defying the WHO recommendation that Ivermectin not be used for Covid-19.
The most glaring example is India when in April 2020 the country had the highest daily infection record in the world with 360,960 cases. Within a month after Ivermectin was mass distributed in the most affected states and cities, the infection rate was swiftly brought below seven thousand cases a day.
Today, 32 countries in the world are incorporating Ivermectin with vaccines in the fight against Covid-19. Our Asean neighbours, Philippines and Indonesia, have allowed EUA for Ivermectin. Malaysia has all to gain to follow suit.
Numerous specialist doctors throughout the world have used Ivermectin and specific micronutrients along with standard care with good results in the emergency rooms and intensive care units of their hospitals. Notable among whom are the specialists from the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC).
Lies about Ivermectin meant only for animals and that it causes severe side effects to humans must stop. On the contrary it is one of the safest drugs ever produced.
It has already been approved for patients with HIV and scabies, meaning for humans. The WHO has listed Ivermectin as an essential drug. The current organised campaign to disparage Ivermectin must stop.
When arguing on science and evidence-based medicine, critics often say the Ivermectin studies were of small-scaled, low-leveled evidence and with confounding issues. These critics see the trees but missed the forest.
To date, there is a real-time meta-analysis of 60 studies showing positive Ivermectin results in reduced mortality, shortened hospital stay, faster time to recovery, and reduced viral loads.
Healthcare officials, politicians, media editors, and those with a conscience to save lives should not ignore such scientific publications. Even if the criticism regarding low quality studies is true, the reduced mortality outcome alone should alert healthcare officials and critics to pay attention to Ivermectin and not continue to cast aspersions on it.
We would like to highlight the following published scientific facts that are verifiable:
1. Since 2012, multiple in vitro studies have demonstrated that Ivermectin inhibits the replication of many viruses, including influenza, zika, dengue, and others.
2. Ivermectin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and binding to host tissue through several observed and proposed mechanisms.
3. Ivermectin has potent anti-inflammatory properties with in vitro data demonstrating profound inhibition of both cytokine production and transcription of nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), the most potent mediator of inflammation.
4. Ivermectin significantly diminishes viral load and protects against organ damage in multiple animal models when infected with SARS-CoV-2 or similar coronaviruses.
5. Ivermectin prevents transmission and development of Covid-19 disease in those exposed to infected patients.
6. Ivermectin hastens recovery and prevents deterioration in patients with mild to moderate disease treated early after symptoms.
7. Ivermectin hastens recovery and avoidance of ICU admission and death in hospitalised patients.
8. Ivermectin reduces mortality in critically ill patients with Covid-19.
9. Ivermectin leads to temporally associated reductions in case fatality rates in regions after Ivermectin distribution campaigns.
10. The safety, availability, and cost of ivermectin are nearly unparalleled given its low incidence of important drug interactions along with only mild and rare side effects observed in almost 40 years of use and billions of doses administered.
11. The World Health Organization has long included ivermectin on its 'List of Essential Medicines'.
How many more must die? How much more must the people continue to endure the socio-financial sufferings?
How much longer must our industries continue to endure the partial or total shut down of their production lines?
Therefore, we strongly urged our politicians to debate and allow Ivermectin use under EUA
CAPT DR WONG ANG PENG (Rtd)
MAECC Secretariat;
DATUK DR SELVAM RENGASAMY
On behalf of the members of SAHAMM (Society for Advancement of Hormones and Healthy Aging Medicine Malaysia);
DR VIJAENDREH SUBRAMANIAM
On behalf of the members of MAAFIM (Malaysian Association for the Advancement of Functional and Interdisciplinary Medicine);
CONNIE LEE YOKE KWAN
On behalf of the members of MSCM (Malaysian Society of Complementary Medicine);
SAROJA THEAVY BALAKRISHNAN
On behalf of the members of SNH (Society of Natural Health Malaysia);
PROF DR CHONG WEE FONG
On behalf of the members of NMAM (Naturopathic Medical Association Malaysia);
DATUK NADZIM JOHAN
On behalf of members of PPIM (Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia);
PROF DR ADLINA SULEIMAN
On behalf of members of Medical and Health Cluster Academy of Professors Malaysia;
DR ALBERT JAY RAJ
On behalf of the members of GHBM and NSM
(Gerakan Harapan Baru Malaysia and New Selangor Movement); and
TAN SRI LEE KIM YEW
Patron, Malaysian Alliance For Effective Covid Control
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times