Abstract
Background: Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug being investigated in clinical trials for the prevention of COVID-19. However, there are concerns about the quality of some of these trials.
Objectives: To conduct a meta-analysis with randomized controlled trials of ivermectin for the prevention of COVID-19, while controlling for the quality of data. The primary outcome was RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection. The secondary outcome was rate of symptomatic COVID-19 infection.
Methods: We conducted a subgroup analysis based on the quality of randomized controlled trials evaluating ivermectin for the prevention of COVID-19. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias measures (RoB 2) and additional checks on raw data, where possible.
Results: Four studies were included in the meta-analysis. One was rated as being potentially fraudulent, two as having a high risk of bias and one as having some concerns for bias. Ivermectin did not have a significant effect on preventing RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection. Ivermectin had a significant effect on preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection in one trial with some concerns of bias, but this result was based on post hoc analysis of a multi-arm study.
Conclusions: In this meta-analysis, the use of ivermectin was not associated with the prevention of RT-PCR-confirmed or symptomatic COVID-19. The currently available randomized trials evaluating ivermectin for the prevention of COVID-19 are insufficient and of poor quality.
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Randomized controlled trial, Ivermectin, Meta-analysis, clinical trial, Randomized controlled trials, Trial, randomized trial, clinical trials, RT-PCR, COVID-19 infection, symptomatic, Quality, multi-arm, trials, Analysis, symptomatic COVID-19, high risk, Primary outcome, significant effect, measure, secondary outcome, raw data, subgroup analysis, Post hoc analysis, poor quality, antiparasitic drug, prevention of COVID-19, investigated, conducted, risk of bia, RoB 2,