In a recent undertaking of the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) and Peter Doherty Institute of Infection (Doherty Institute) research scientists conducted a collaborative study which revealed that a single dose of Ivermectin, a household anti-parasitic drug commonly used to treat head lice, can terminate SARS-CoV-2 growth in cell culture within a mere 48 hours.

Ivermectin is an FDA-approved, readily available drug used worldwide with an impressive track record, having already proven to be an effective treatment for a plethora of viruses, such as HIV, Dengue, Influenza, and Zika virus, in previous in vitro studies. Although, scientists are uncertain in regards to the exact mechanism through which this drug influences the spread of the coronavirus, in particular, these in vitro studies strongly suggest that it hinders the virus's ability to prevent the host cell from clearing it.

Despite this promising news, this by no means suggests anyone should run to the store and down a whole bottle of anti-parasite treatment. Currently, Ivermectin has only been used to treat SARS-CoV-2 in in-vitro pre-clinical trials. Unfortunately, this implies that many in vivo pre-clinical trials involving animal experimentation and eventually clinical trials involving humans stand between now and the potential COVID-19 treatment. Specifically, Dr. Kylie Wagstaff of the Monash BDI states, "We need to figure out now whether the dosage you can use it at in humans will be effective — that's the next step."

At this point, an effective, available COVID-19 vaccine may appear to lie far beyond the horizon, but it is more than reassuring to know that scientists at the forefront of this global pandemic have successfully identified a promising drug treatment with FDA-approval — approval which might expedite the intermediate processes necessary for a vaccine to be made available to the public. Thank goodness for head-lice, I suppose.