DOH: Ivermectin not a viable option to treat COVID-19 cases, new study finds
The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said a new study found that antiparasitic drug ivermectin is not a viable option for treating COVID-19 patients.
Citing a study published June 28 by the Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said new evidence still does not support the use of ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment.
The study was a systematic assessment of the benefits and harms of ivermectin on COVID-19 patients. The researchers studied both published and preprint randomized controlled trials on ivermectin’s effects on adult and mostly mild COVID-19 cases.
The study found that in comparison to standard of care or placebo, ivermectin did not reduce all-cause mortality, length of stay, or viral clearance in the trials.
“Ivermectin did not have an effect on adverse effects or severe adverse effects. Ivermectin is not a viable option to treat COVID-19 patients,” it concluded.
