Indonesians ignore warnings in rush to buy drug for COVID

Indonesians ignore warnings in rush to buy drug for COVID

JAKARTA: Indonesians have ignored health warnings to stock up on a "miracle cure" for COVID-19 backed by leading politicians and social media influencers, as an out-of-control virus surge sweeps the country. Authorities are reporting hundreds of deaths every day as the world's fourth-most populous nation struggles with its worst outbreak since the pandemic began.

Pharmacies across the country are running out of ivermectin, an oral treatment normally used to treat lice and other parasitic infections, thanks in part to viral social media posts touting its potential as a coronavirus treatment. "Those who come bring a screenshot showing that ivermectin"¦ could cure Covid," said Yoyon, head of a pharmaceutical sales group at a market in the capital Jakarta, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

He said the shortage had pushed the price of the drug up from around 175,000 to 300,000 rupiah ($12-$21) a bottle. "We are out of supplies at the moment after many people came to buy it," he added. Enthusiastic praise from popular online personalities are helping drive demand. "Ivermectin is one of the safe and effective keys to ending the pandemic from various doctors, with lots of scientific evidence," Reza Gunawan, a self-described "holistic health practitioner", wrote