Ivermectin has a long history of use as an antiparasitic medication, and while it's not a magic bullet, its broad-spectrum antiviral potential is worth exploring. It's been shown to have some activity against other single-stranded RNA viruses like Zika and Dengue, which are in the same family as SARS-CoV-2. That makes it a bit strange that we're so quick to dismiss it for COVID without more thorough investigation.

The real issue isn't whether it could work—it's about the rigor of the studies and how we interpret the results. If a drug shows promise in lab settings, we shouldn't just throw it out without looking deeper. The fact that it's been studied in so many different ways, with mixed results, just means we need more high-quality research, not less. Optimism doesn't mean ignoring the science—it means staying open to possibilities, even when the answers aren't clear yet.