Emergency Medicine Specialist promotes Ivermectin in personal COVID-19 prevention plan

While many are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine in this part of the world, some medical experts are convinced that there are other effective methods that are readily available to help combat the disease.
Embracing this notion is local Emergency Medicine Specialist, Dr. Zulfikar Bux. In his most recent column in this newspaper, Dr. Bux shared his personal plan to ward off the disease pending the arrival of the vaccine.

Since the outbreak of the disease here months ago, Dr. Bux has been in the forefront raising awareness about it; especially how persons can help to safeguard themselves. In fact, he revealed that he has crafted a tactical personal COVID-19 prevention plan. In sharing details of his plan, he said, “it is only prudent that I share this, that others be informed of how simple changes can make such a big impact in our fight against COVID-19.”

Included in his plan is the use of a medication called Ivermectin. Around for decades, Ivermectin, is a medication used to treat many types of parasite infestations. It is being touted as one of the drugs that can help to fight the dreaded COVID-19 disease. Fully supporting its efficacy, the doctor noted that “Ivermectin is not patented, it is cheap and therefore is not as profitable as many other medications that are recently invented and still have a patent.”
However, the reality, he explained, is that drugs that are cheap, and have lost their patent, are not usually promoted since they can be made by any pharmaceutical company and will therefore have reduced profit margins.

Nevertheless, Dr. Bux said, “I am a firm believer in Ivermectin and its effectiveness against COVID-19. It has been around for decades and has proven anti-viral properties. Studies are showing its effectiveness against the COVID-19 infection, and what’s even more encouraging, are studies coming out from Argentina and India of its benefit in preventing the disease.”

According to him, many health workers using this medication have not had the disease and a few had the mild form. Those who didn’t use it, he found, had higher infection rates.
This drug, Dr. Bux stressed, is one of the safest around and is usually mass distributed to help combat filariasis countrywide.
This past weekend the doctor used his first prophylactic (prevention) dose which he said will be followed-up with monthly repeats to protect him from the virus.

Also included in his plan is the use of Vitamins C and D with Zinc. Expounding, he revealed that these essential nutrients are proven to be vital in helping our bodies to fight off infections. To support his argument, the doctor said that “studies have shown higher COVID-19 infections and death rates in patients with low Vitamin D levels. Vitamin C and Zinc have been shown to decrease severity and duration in viral illnesses similar to the COVID-19 infection.”

In fact, he quipped, “there is no harm in me getting daily Vitamins and Zinc, so I will ensure my diet contains these essential nutrients. Eating fish, healthy meat, eggs and dairy should help with my Vitamin D and Zinc while using citrus fruits daily will give me my Vitamin C. I will ensure I expose myself daily to sunlight which is a good back up plan to acquire Vitamin D.”
In addition to the foregoing, Dr. Bux stressed the continued importance of wearing a face mask and good hygienic practices.

“Being a health worker, I am now used to having my mask on, keeping my hands clean and not touching my face,” said Dr. Bux as he firmly underscored, “the science is clear that these preventative measures work and I’ll keep on doing them as best as I can.”
But according to the Emergency Medicine Specialist since “we are all humans and we have our moments of weakness, the more often we practice these measures, the more likely we will be protected in the event that we are exposed to the virus.”

These measures, the doctor said, must be practiced in conjunction with social distancing as far as possible.
However, since the doctor’s plan is personal, it is not mandatory for others to follow it to the letter. He, nevertheless, noted that persons can opt to “use proper evidence to formulate a plan that will keep you safe against this virus until you get vaccinated.”