Ivermectin ineffective at preventing severe Covid-19: study

[superadmin]

KUALA LUMPUR – The usage of ivermectin as a form of treatment during early stages of Covid-19 was found to not prevent patients from progressing to more severe phases of the disease, according to a recently published study.

Research conducted by Malaysia’s Ivermectin Treatment Efficacy in Covid-19 High-risk Patients (I-Tech) study group concluded that, in its randomised clinical trial of high-risk patients with mild to moderate Covid-19, no evidence was found to reinforce the effectiveness of ivermectin treatment.

Carried out at 20 government hospitals and a Covid-19 quarantine centre between May 31 and October 25 last year, the study was approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee and saw the enrolment of 500 patients.

None of the 13 deaths of patients in the trial were attributed to treatment with the anti-parasitic veterinary drug, with severe Covid-19 pneumonia being the principal direct cause for nine deaths and four from nosocomial sepsis.

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