Update (APRIL 30, 2021): ICMR in its guidelines released on 22 April 2021, for management of adult COVID-19 patients has recommended the usage of Ivermectin (200 mcg/kg once a day for 3 days) for patients with mild /asymptomatic disease in home isolation. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has also mentioned the usage of Tab Ivermectin in its revised guidelines for Home Isolation of mild /asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. Ivermectin also finds a mention in FAQs on COVID-19 from AIIMS e-ICUs.
A post claiming that ICMR in its guidelines specified the dosage and use of Ivermectin for both prevention as well as treatment of COVID is doing rounds on social media. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: ICMR in its guidelines specified the dosage and use of Ivermectin for both prevention as well as treatment of COVID-19.
Fact: ICMR did not recommend to use Ivermectin in treatment of COVID-19. However, the UP government circular dated 06 August 2020 specified the dosage and use of Ivermectin for both prevention as well as treatment of COVID-19 in UP. The speifications regarding the dosage and usage of the drug in both the UP government circular and in the post are similar. The UP government’s circular is being attributed to ICMR. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched on the ICMR website for any such advisory, we did not find any advising the usage of Ivermectin in COVID-19 treatment. However, we found a Uttar Pradesh government circular dated 06 August 2020 which specified the dosage and use of Ivermectin for both prevention as well as treatment of COVID-19 in the state of UP. However, nowhere in this circular, it is mentioned that ICMR prescribed this drug in the treatment of COVID-19. Also, the specifications regarding the dosage and usage of the drug in both the UP government circular and in the post are similar. With this, we can say that ICMR did not prescribe the usage of Ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 and UP government’s circular is falsely being attributed to ICMR.
We could not find any news reports regarding the ICMR prescription of Ivermectin in treatment of COVID-19. Also, in the news articles which reported the UP government’s decision to use Ivermectin in treatment of COVID-19, it is nowhere mentioned that ICMR prescribed this drug in the treatment of COVID-19. These news articles can be read here and here. However, ICMR is investigating Ivermectin & Doxycycline as a potential treatment for Covid-19.
To sum it up, ICMR did not prescribe the use of Ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19. However, the UP government advised its health officials to use Ivermectin in treatment of COVID-19.
