(Health & Medical Publishing Group, 2021-03) Van Rensburg, Roland; Decloedt, Eric H.; Reuter, Helmuth; Parker, Arifa; Schrueder, Neshaad; Lahri, Sa'ad
Ivermectin has been proposed as a potential definitive
and prophylactic treatment for COVID-19.[1] Ivermectin is an
anthelmintic drug that is usually indicated for filarial and resistant
scabies infections, but has been shown to have antiviral activity and
anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.[2,3] Ivermectin has the potential to
be a promising directed therapy in the drug armamentarium against
COVID-19, as it has been shown to have in vitro activity against
SARS-CoV-2.[4]
Several randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational
studies have reported on the effectiveness and safety outcomes of
ivermectin in COVID-19.[1,5] These data are very promising, showing
large treatment effects and acceptable adverse effect profiles for
ivermectin against COVID-19, especially when combined in metaanalyses.