Scientists at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) at Monash University in Australia have found that Ivermectin, a medication used to treat many types of parasite infestations, can kill the new coronavirus within 48 hours in a laboratory.

There are medicines for various stages of the disease. There is no proven cure with 100% result. The scientists are looking for medicines that can treat it and break the puzzle of the infection.

Ivermectin is medicine, which is well known and tested. It is used to treat many types of parasite infestations. This includes head lice, scabies, river blindness (onchocerciasis), strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis, and lymphatic filariasis. It can be taken by mouth or applied to the skin for external infestations.

The scientists are testing such medicines, which have a classic indication, to be found their new purpose as antivirus effect against COVID-19.

There must be a benefit-harm balance. That is, it seeks to have an effect, and the benefit is much greater than the harm.

Quinine and others may be used in the early stage of the disease. In the next phases, are used anti-inflammatory drugs.

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, the school’s medical center, are working on a possible vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Scientists announced news of the potential vaccine, which has now been tested successfully on mice.

About 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create such a vaccine, at least four of which already have candidates they have been testing in animals. The first of these – produced by Boston-based biotech firm Moderna – will enter human trials imminently.

As of today, coronavirus cases worldwide exceeded 1.282 million, while the death toll is already 70,183. The US has 336,851 cases with 9,620 deaths, while Spain has 135,032 cases with 13,055 and Italy has 128,948 cases and 15,887 deaths.