article · JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH
A clinical trial in Egypt evaluated whether oral ivermectin could prevent COVID-19 infection in asymptomatic household contacts exposed to confirmed cases. The study compared 203 contacts who received weight-based doses of ivermectin with 101 contacts who received no prophylactic intervention. Over a two-week follow-up period, 7.4 percent of participants in the ivermectin group developed symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, compared to 58.4 percent in the untreated group. The observed protective effect was especially pronounced among individuals under 60 years of age, where the infection rate was 6.2 percent with ivermectin versus 58.7 percent without treatment. Mild side effects occurred in 5.4 percent of individuals receiving the drug. The findings suggest that oral ivermectin serves as a safe and effective chemoprophylactic option to reduce viral transmission within households.
Household transmission remains a major route of spread for respiratory viruses, where behavioural measures alone are frequently insufficient. Identifying an oral drug that provides effective chemoprophylaxis can help protect family members living with infected individuals. By demonstrating a marked reduction in infection rates alongside minimal side effects, this research highlights an accessible pharmacological strategy for post-exposure prevention in community settings.
The findings could inform clinical guidance and pharmaceutical repurposing programmes seeking post-exposure prophylactic treatments for close contacts of infected patients. Healthcare providers and public health agencies would be the primary users of such protocols. As this trial tested an existing, approved generic medication in a randomised controlled setting, the intervention is applied and tested, though broader clinical adoption would depend on further regulatory evaluation and inclusion in standard care guidelines.
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Introduction: The rate of secondary attacks of SARS-COV-2 is high among household close contacts. Social distancing, isolation and infection control measures are important for preventing exposure to infection, but insufficient. Aim: The study aimed to evaluate possible role of oral ivermectin as a chemoprophylaxis in asymptomatic family close contacts with COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: A prospective interventional randomised open label-controlled study was conducted (registered at clinicaltrials.gov; NCT04422561) during June and July 2020. Two arms were designed according to use of ivermectin. In ivermectin arm, contacts received ivermectin according to Body Weight (BW) on day of the diagnosis of their index case. The non-intervention group received no treatment. Both groups were followed-up for two weeks for development of symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. Results: Ivermectin group included 203 contacts (to 52 index cases) aged 39.75±14.94 years; 52.2% were males. Non-intervention group included 101 contacts (to a total of 24 index cases) aged 37.69±16.96 years, 49.5% were males. Fifteen contacts (7.4%) developed COVID-19 in the ivermectin arm compared to 59 (58.4%) in the non-intervention arm (p<0.001). The protection rate for ivermectin was more prominent in contacts aged less than 60-year-old (6.2% infected compared to 58.7% if no treatment). Ivermectin in the protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection had an OR of 12.533 and 11.445 (compared to nontreatment) in both univariate and multivariate models, respectively. Side effects of ivermectin were reported in 5.4%; they were mild. Conclusion: Ivermectin is suggested to be a promising, effective and safe chemoprophylactic drug in management of COVID-19.
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DOI: 10.7860/jcdr/2021/46795.14529
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