I Can't Keep Doing This - Dr Pierre Corey

Retrospective Analysis of Using Ivermectin in Patients With COVID-19
This study has not been peer reviewed.

This retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (27% with severe COVID-19) who were admitted to four Florida hospitals compared patients who received at least one dose of ivermectin (n = 173) to those who received "usual care" (n = 103). The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes included mortality in patients with severe disease (defined as "need for either FiO2 ≥50% or noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation") and extubation rates in those who were mechanically ventilated.12

Results
Ivermectin administration was reportedly consistent with hospital guidelines: a single dose of 200 µg/kg, with repeat dosing on Day 7 if the patient was still hospitalized (13 patients received a second dose). Ninety percent of the ivermectin group and 97% of the usual care group received hydroxychloroquine (the majority received hydroxychloroquine in conjunction with azithromycin).
All-cause mortality was lower among the patients in the ivermectin group than among patients in the usual care group (OR 0.27; P = 0.03). The mortality benefit appeared to be limited to the subgroup of patients with severe disease.
There was no difference between the groups for the median length of hospital stay (7 days in both groups) or the proportion of mechanically ventilated patients who were successfully extubated (36% in the ivermectin group vs. 15% in the usual care group; P = 0.07).
Limitations
This was a retrospective analysis.
The study included little or no information on oxygen saturation or radiographic findings. It was also unclear whether therapeutic interventions other than hydroxychloroquine, such as remdesivir or dexamethasone, were used in the study.
The timing of therapeutic interventions was not standardized; if the timing is not accounted for, it can bias the survival comparison.
The analyses of the durations of ventilation and hospitalization do not appear to account for death as a competing risk.
No virologic assessments were performed.
Interpretation
The limitations of this retrospective analysis make it difficult to draw conclusions about the efficacy of using ivermectin to treat patients with COVID-19.