Reference:
South African National Department of Health. (2021). Rapid review of Ivermectin for COVID-19: Evidence review of clinical benefits and harms (Update: 30 July 2021).
Summary:
The South African National Department of Health conducted a rapid review to assess the efficacy of ivermectin in treating COVID-19. The review, which synthesised findings from multiple randomised controlled trials (RCTs), revealed that evidence supporting ivermectin’s clinical benefits is very low to low in certainty. A systematic review by Popp et al. identified 13 RCTs with mixed results; some studies reported potential benefits, but many had high risks of bias and small sample sizes. Notably, the evidence did not consistently demonstrate significant improvements in mortality, clinical improvement, or viral clearance for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. The review concluded that ivermectin should not be used outside clinical trial settings due to insufficient evidence. The NEMLC COVID-19 sub-committee recommended against its use, emphasising the need for further well-designed trials to clarify its role in COVID-19 management. Overall, the current data does not support ivermectin as a beneficial treatment for COVID-19, highlighting the necessity for caution in its application.