The health ministry (MoH), in a statement posted on Facebook today, stated that the first case involved a 35-year-old who experienced shortness of breath for up to five days after taking the drug.

“The second case involved a senior citizen who was found unconscious after allegedly taking 15 pills of Ivermectin at one go,” read the statement.

Unfortunately, it said, there was no antidote or specific treatment for this case of poisoning and advised the public against taking Ivermectin for self-treatment.

According to the MoH, the drug was found to be sold illegally as Ivermectin has not been approved for use as a treatment or prevention of Covid-19 infection in Malaysia.

It said taking Ivermectin without in-depth study and improper dosage can result in poisoning as well as adverse effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and dizziness.

On June 5, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was reported as saying that the MoH and the Institute for Clinical Research had started clinical trials to study the use and efficacy of Ivermectin for high-risk Covid-19 patients at 12 hospitals under the ministry.

He also said Ivermectin is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved anti-parasitic drug widely used for treating several neglected tropical diseases, including onchocerciasis, strongyloidiasis and helminthiases.

However, the evidence is inconclusive to recommend routine use of Ivermectin for Covid-19 patients, he added.

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