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Ivermectin use associated with reduced duration of COVID-19 febrile illness in a community setting
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  • Nasir Afsar,
  • Muhammad Ishaq,
  • Muslim Abbas,
  • Muhammad Mukarram,
  • Muhammad Peracha,
  • Khizra Ishaq
Nasir Afsar
Jinnah Medical and Dental College

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Muhammad Ishaq
Jinnah Medical College Hospital Karachi
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Muslim Abbas
Jinnah Medical and Dental College
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Muhammad Mukarram
Jinnah Medical College Hospital Karachi
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Muhammad Peracha
Jinnah Medical and Dental College
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Khizra Ishaq
Jinnah Medical and Dental College
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Abstract

AIMS: SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) is a potentially lethal disease that may progress into severe respiratory distress syndrome requiring ventilatory support. While azithromycin (AZI) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are considered similar to placebo in COVID-19, other drugs such as ivermectin (IVER), are being repurposed to treat this pandemic. This study was designed to assess the effects of ivermectin on duration of febrile illness and disease outcomes in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection in a community setting. METHODS: In this case-control study 95 suspected patients of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 were included. The controls (Group-A) received AZI+HCQ for seven days while the cases (Group-B) received IVER+AZI+HCQ for six days. RESULTS: A total of 41 patients were in Group-B, while 54 patients were in Group-A. Group-B had consistently and significantly shorter span of fever on days 5, 7, 10 and 14, where the logistic regression showed IVER as the major (Exp B 49•55; p<0•001) underlying factor. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that Group-A had a prolonged febrile illness (p<0•001). CONCLUSIONS: Ivermectin use is associated with reduced duration of febrile illness in COVID-19 in outpatient setting, thus potentially saving precious lives, reducing direct load on healthcare facilities and preventing high cost of management in a community setting.
Published in SSRN Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.3734478