With almost two years of dealing with COVID-19 and over 700,000 deaths, people are starting to turn to anything that can possibly bring a cure to this virus, especially non-FDA approved ones. Ivermectin is becoming an attraction for a possible treatment for COVID-19.
What is ivermectin?
Ivermectin is an antiparasitic agent that is normally used in animals, especially in dogs and cats, for heartworm prevention. It is also FDA-approved for the use of certain parasitic infections in humans. Usually, the doses are small in humans and can be taken either orally or topically.
It can also be used to reduce the rate of malaria transmission from mosquito vectors which is why it is gaining new traction for possible COVID-19 treatment. However, it is not FDA-approved for any viral infections.
What’s the link between Ivermectin and COVID-19
There have been in vitro studies (which are typically performed in controlled environments such as petri dishes or test tubes) showing that ivermectin acts by inhibiting the host importin alpha/beta-1 nuclear transport proteins. Importin is a protein that transports molecules from the cell’s cytoplasm to the nucleus which is key for viruses to replicate. Ivermectin is thought to be more host-directed agent than viral directed.
Conclusion on Ivermectin Treatment
There are no clinical trials, therefore no evidence that ivermectin can be used for treatment of COVID-19. The National Institute of Health has compiled a table of clinical data that highlights the various ivermectin studies that have been completed. Many of the studies either had a small sample size, various doses and schedules, patients receiving other medications (i.e. hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin), severity of COVID-19 not being well described or no clear outcomes were measured.
There is no sufficient evidence to conclude for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. Until more well-conducted clinical trials are completed, ivermectin should not be used outside of it’s approved use and should not be used for COVID-19. Taking more than the recommended amount of ivermectin can lead to unwanted side effects such as pruritus, nausea, diarrhea and dizziness. It’s better we leave ivermectin for the animals.
References:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Ivermectin. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/antiviral-therapy/ivermectin/.
- Ivermectin for preventing and … – cochranelibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015017.pub2/ .
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