Ivermectin in India, Prophylactic role of ivermectin in SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers

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Background

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are vulnerable to getting infected withSARS-CoV-2

Preventing HCWs from getting infected is a priority to maintain healthcare services

The therapeutic and preventive role of ivermectin in COVID-19 is being investigated

Based on promising results of in vitro studies of oral ivermectin,

this study to look at prophylactic role of oral ivermectin

Methods

Prospective cohort study was conducted at AIIMS Bhubaneswar

Two-doses of oral ivermectin, 300 μg/kg at a gap of 72 hours

Primary outcome, COVID-19 infection in the month following

Of 3892 employees,

3532 (90.8%) participated in the study

Ivermectin uptake n = 2, 384 (67.5%)

Non uptake, n = 1147 (32.5%)

Results

Development of symptomatic infection

331 participants, developed symptoms

131 in takers

200 from non takers

Ivermectin takers, 6%

Non takers, 15%

Testing positive, 201

Ivermectin takers, 2%

Non takers, 11.7%

Implications for transmission

HCWs who had taken two-doses

(Single dose did not reach significance)

Significantly lower risk of contracting COVID-19 disease during the following month was 0.18

Adjusted Relative Risk 0.17

1.8% reported adverse events, mild and self-limiting

Conclusion and relevance

Two-doses of oral ivermectin (300 μg/kg given 72 hours apart) as chemoprophylaxis among HCWs

reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection by 83% in the following month.

Safe, effective, and low-cost chemoprophylaxis have relevance in the containment of pandemic
alongside vaccine.

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AIIMS Director, Gitanjali Batmanabane

Earlier, at least 20 to 25 HCWs were getting infected with the virus daily.

After the workers started taking ivermectin, the number of infection has come down to one or two per day

Critique

The safety of the drug has been established by its large-scale use in the last four decades for
various indications such as onchocerciasis, scabies, head lice, and other parasitic infestations

  / john.l.campbell1  

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