Physicians from Bangladesh Medical College Hospital (BMCH), led by Dr Tarek Alam, claimed that a combination of the anti-parasitic drug ‘ivermectin’ with antibiotic ‘Doxycycline’ yielded amazing results against Covid-19.

Dr Alam, an Associate Professor at the Department of Medicine, made this claim while talking to Emamul Haque of Radio Metro Mail, Canada on Friday.

Alam speaks exclusively about the findings of his clinical evidence and came up with several suggestions for the people in Bangladesh as well as the world population.

“We’re looking for treating Covid-19 patients in Bangladesh with low cost medicine with less side effects,” Dr Alam said. “We’ve found ivermectin and Doxycycline as very cheap ones.”

Asked about the usage of the two medicines in combination, Dr Alam said: “The dosage is the normal dose that dermatologists have been applying for scabies. It’s 200microgram ivermectin for per kg body weight, that’s what we use.”

“We use 100miligram Doxycycline per day,” he said, adding that they used the medication on 120 patients.

All of them have reported improvement, and within two to three days, their requirements of oxygen decreased and they returned home, Dr Alam added.

He said that the local media ran reports on the recovery of patients.

When asked if any other hospitals or doctors are using these two medicines in combination, Dr Alam said: “Hospitals, doctors, private doctors as well as quacks in remote areas have been using this combination while there are so many prescriptions available on Facebook in my name.”

They have added zinc, vitamin-c, paracetamol which I didn’t suggest, Dr Alam said adding that he texted the prescription to everyone who called him for suggestion.

When asked if anyone starts applying this medication on their own, Dr Alam said, “People who’ve not tested positive for Covid-19 shouldn’t take this medication.”

Dr Alam kept on saying that “it is not the patients who decide the medication”.

RMM interviewer Emamul Haque asked him that many people have been asking that without any further large trial, whether the doctors, institutions can apply this medication or not.

Dr Alam replied that logically they shouldn’t “but they’re applying and we’re having large trial actually”.

“They’re using as they’re getting good results,” he added.

Dr Alam, however, urged patients to get tested for coronavirus first and then apply this medication only if they test positive.

“The government has been very helpful officially and unofficially,” said Dr Alam when asked if he had discussed his medication with Bangladesh government. “The Health Minister himself has asked me to submit a research paper as early as possible.”

“I should be having the approval hopefully by next week,” Dr Alam said adding that India’s Maharashtra state has already started using this medication.

Asked about the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) stance on this medication for Covid-19, Dr Alam said WHO has been conducting solidarity study. “They haven’t come up with a positive approach with me yet.”

“I think they’re going to use ivermectin and Doxycycline as sixth or seventh arm in their solidarity study,” he added.

Bangladesh has been struggling with coronavirus pandemic for over three months.

The country has so far confirmed 63,026 cases and 846 deaths.