Ivermectin Does Not Improve COVID-19 Outcomes
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Ivermectin is no more effective than placebo in reducing the severity of COVID-19 among newly diagnosed patients, according to the largest trial to date that has investigated this question. Treatment with ivermectin failed to reduce hospital admissions for worsening COVID-19 and failed to shorten the time that patients with COVID-19 stayed as outpatients in the emergency room for observation.
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@koushin Ivermectin, which is typically used as an antiparasitic agent, has been much in the news recently, and one of the reasons is that the repurposing of existing medicines that are widely available and reasonably safe has assumed greater importance with the emergence of COVID-19. Ivermectin inhibits the chloride channels of helminthic parasites and has been shown to have clinical efficacy for the treatment of onchocerciasis, strongyloidiasis, and ectoparasitic infections such as scabies. Ivermectin has also been studied in vitro for its potential antiviral properties in many viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-1), HIV, dengue, Zika, yellow fever, West Nile, Hendra, chikungunya, Semliki Forest, Sindbis, and avian influenza viruses.