Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday The Canberra Times published an article in which it referred to ivermectin as both a treatment and prophylaxis for COVID as 'a snake oil remedy'. Therefore, I'd like to take this opportunity to update the House on the published studies on this so-called snake oil remedy. At last count there were 39 published studies conducted by 275 scientists with 11,371 patients. These include 20 randomised, controlled trials. Of these trials, 10 are prophylaxis trials, which on average show a 90 per cent reduction of COVID infections. The latest study, a double-blind placebo controlled study by the Israeli professor Eli Schwartz, found that ivermectin could shorten the viral shedding period.

Of these 39 studies, 100 per cent have found ivermectin to have a positive effect. So, the probability of an ineffective treatment or a mere 'snake oil', as The Canberra Times calls it—to get 39 out of 39—is actually one in 550 billion. That's right: one in 550 billion. I call on our national COVID evidence group to again look at the evidence. They've looked at only seven studies. They have looked at less than 10 per cent of the evidence. They've got to get on and look at all the evidence and make sensible recommendations based upon the science.