There has been a lot of interest recently in ivermectin as a potential drug for treatment of COVID-19. This is based upon a study showing that when tested on cells grown on culture plates, ivermectin interferes with the replication of the virus that causes COVID-19. However, there is no evidence at this time that ivermectin actually has an effect on COVID-19 when given to people. Many drugs behave differently when given to people than when tested against a layer of cells in a dish, because the body is a much more complicated system.
Ivermectin is approved for use in humans to treat several types of parasites, but is not approved for use against COVID-19. It is also used in veterinary practice. The FDA warns that people should not take ivermectin formulated for animals in an attempt to prevent or treat COVID-19. Formulations designed for animals can be more concentrated or contain other ingredients that are not intended for use by humans, and can cause overdose or dangerous side effects. The most effective thing you can do to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. For those who have been uncertain about getting vaccinated because the vaccines were under an emergency use authorization, the FDA recently approved the Pfizer vaccine, Comirnaty.