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People looking for a silver bullet to treat Covid-19 have gone down some very unlikely roads since the start of the public health emergency more than 18 months ago.
The latest avenue being travelled by some people is Ivermectin, a wonder drug that has won those who discovered it a Nobel Prize.
While it is a wonder drug, it is not one that has been proven to work as a Covid-19 treatment. It is used to treat parasitic infections in humans and horses has been widely touted as a cure for the disease despite little evidence of its efficacy.
One person in Ireland has been hospitalised this year after using ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19.
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Over the summer there was a 3,000 per cent increase in seizures of the drug by health officials.
The problem is even worse in the US where it has become central to the Culture Wars there. But how did it happen? And why? We talk to Prof Gerald Barry from UCD and journalist Nick Robins-Early.
In the News is hosted by presented by reporters Conor Pope and Sorcha Pollak.
You can listen to the podcast here:
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