DECEMBER 16, 2020
COVID-19 Update: Ivermectin
Ivermectin is an interesting medication that had fallen off my radar until recently. It is an anti-parasitic medication, with potential anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties against SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. In this post we will review some of the current evidence in using Ivermectin as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent in COVID-19.
Clinical Question: Does Ivermectin demonstrate efficacy in prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19?
In Vitro Evidence [2]
- Cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 RNA
- Added Ivermectin or nothing (control) to cells and analyzed RT-PCR for replication of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at days 0 to 3
- 24h = 93% reduction in viral RNA present
- 48h = 99.8% reduction in viral RNA present
- By 48hrs there was an ≈5000-fold reduction in viral RNA in Ivermectin treated cells compared to control samples
- With a single dose of Ivermectin viral replication was controlled effectively eliminating all viral material by 48hrs
- No toxicity observed at anytime
- Proposed anti-viral mechanism of action