Med-O-Meter

2

MedHead Message:

This is controversial, yet the bulk of the evidence tends to lean toward ivermectin reducing length of illness, mortality, clinical worsening of symptoms and hospitalizations. Although Cochrane database states that not enough evidence exists to pronounce ivermectin effective, they left out several studies, that despite some risk for bias, showed a positive effect. In the confusion of ivermectin for COVID, one thing is crystal clear: In the absence of clearly beneficial treatments for COVID, ivermectin remains an affordable, safe, and likely effective treatment that may help and very likely will not harm when taken appropriately, typically 9-12mg daily or 18-21mg every other day for 5-6 days.

References:

• >1. Cruciani M, Pati I, Masiello F, Malena M, Pupella S, De Angelis V. Correction: Cruciani et al. Ivermectin for Prophylaxis and Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Diagnostics 2021, 11, 1645. Diagnostics. 2021; 11(12):2359. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11122359.
• 2. Abolfazl Akbari, Mahya Razmi, Alireza Sedaghat, Seyyed Mohammad Matin Alavi Dana, Mahdi Amiri, Ali Mohammad Halvani, Soroush Yazdani & Sajad Sahab-Negah (2021) Comparative effectiveness of pharmacological interventions on mortality and the average length of hospital stay of patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2022.1997587
• 3. Karale, S. et. al. Clinical Outcomes Associated with Ivermectin Use in COVID-19: An updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, CHEST INFECTIONS| VOLUME 160, ISSUE 4, SUPPLEMENT , A584-A585, OCTOBER 01, 2021.