Midtown Express Pharmacy
By: Collin Throneberry
COVID-19
COVID-19 is a novel respiratory virus which has caused a global pandemic for the last two years. Ever since COVID-19 was discover health care professionals have been searching treatment options. New and old medications have been studied for the treatment of COVID-19. One of the medications that have been looked at for the treatment of COVID-19 is ivermectin.
Treatment and prevention of COVID-19 with Ivermectin
- What is Ivermectin?
- Ivermectin is a medication that was developed in the 1970’s and approved by the FDA in 1996. Ivermectin anthelmintic agent that has been used to treat parasitic infections for many years. There are currently only two approved uses for ivermectin, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and strongyloidiasis, both being parasitic infections.
- Does ivermectin treat COVID-19?
- The CDC currently does not recommend the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. There have been many studies that have been conducted for the use of ivermectin to treat patients that have tested positive for COVID-19. One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association enrolled 490 patients which concluded that the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 did not affect disease outcomes when compared to placebo.
- Can ivermectin be used to prevent COVID-19?
- The CDC currently does not recommend the use of ivermectin for the prevention of COVID-19. There was a meta-analysis of 15 trials that was published in the American Journal of Therapeutics which studied evidence for the use of ivermectin for the prevention of COVID-19. The results of the study showed a low-certainty that ivermectin prevented infection or progression of COVID-19. Many of the studies that were included had conflicting evidence and different methods of treatment. Overall, ivermectin should not be used for the treatment of prevention of COVID-19
Frequently asked questions
- How can I prevent COVID-19?
- There are currently tree different vaccines approved for the prevention of COVID-19 developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. You can contact your local pharmacy or visit the CDC website regarding information about these vaccines.
- What can be used to treat COVID-19?
- There are many different medication currently being used to treat COVID-19 within the hospital and outside of the hospital. Some of these treatment are being administered are pharmacies across the country. If you test positive for COVID-19 we recommend contacting your doctor to see if you qualify to receive one of these medications.
References
- Lexi-Drugs. Lexicomp. UpToDate, Inc.; 2021. Updated February 10, 2022. Accessed February 10, 2022. https://online.lexi.com
- Bryant A, Lawrie TA, Dowswell T, et al. Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Trial Sequential Analysis to Inform Clinical Guidelines. Am J Ther. 2021;28(4):e434-e460. Published 2021 Jun 21. doi:10.1097/MJT.0000000000001402
- Lim SCL, Hor CP, Tay KH, et al. Efficacy of Ivermectin Treatment on Disease Progression Among Adults With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 and Comorbidities: The I-TECH Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med.Published online February 18, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.0189
