Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of early studies on ivermectin in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, has been repurposed for COVID-19 treatment during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Although its antiviral efficacy was confirmed early in vitro and in preclinical studies, its clinical efficacy remained ambiguous. Our purpose was to assess the efficacy of ivermectin in terms of time to viral clearance based on the meta-analysis of available clinical trials at the closing date of the data search period, one year after the start of the pandemic. This meta-analysis was reported by following the PRISMA guidelines and by using the PICO format for formulating the question. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO. Embase, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), bioRvix, and medRvix were searched for human studies of patients receiving ivermectin therapy with control groups. No language or publication status restrictions were applied. The search ended on 1/31/2021 exactly one year after WHO declared the public health emergency on novel coronavirus. The meta-analysis of three trials involving 382 patients revealed that the mean time to viral clearance was 5.74 days shorter in case of ivermectin treatment compared to the control groups [WMD = -5.74, 95% CI (-11.1, -0.39), p = 0.036]. Ivermectin has significantly reduced the time to viral clearance in mild to moderate COVID-19 diseases compared to control groups. However, more eligible studies are needed for analysis to increase the quality of evidence of ivermectin use in COVID-19.

Opportunity of periodic monitoring of COVID-19 patients, asymptomatic virus carriers, and postinfectious individuals with IgM/IgG rapid antibody tests among healthcare workers during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. / A COVID-19-betegek, tünetmentes hordozók, illetve a betegségen már átesettek periodikus monitorizálási lehetosége IgM/IgG antitest alapú gyorstesztekkel az egészségügyi személyzet körében a SARS-CoV-2-járvány idején.

The first Hungarian COVID-19 case was reported on March 4, 2020 by Hungarian officials. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the highest risk of contracting the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), with 12% of total coronavirus cases confirmed among them recently. 80% of the infected persons show only mild, moderate symptoms or stay asymptomatic. The single-stranded viral RNA can be detected by RT-PCR from the respiratory tract, urine, blood and, particulary in children, from stool samples for 30-40 days. We have no valid data of how many HCWs have been infected since the Hungarian SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, due to the lack of the systematic screening. HCWs could play a critical role in transmission and might jeopardize the health of both their patients and their own family members. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal sudies are recommended to evaluate the ratio of the recovered, i.e., "already protected", the ones in the acute phase, i.e., "the infectious", and the virus-naive, i.e., "at risk" workers. Of the available molecular diagnostic options, in addition to RT-PCR it would be advisable to introduce the novel rapid antibody tests which can give quick results, reveal the timeline of the infection, are easy to handle, inexpensive and can be used periodically to monitor HCWs' viral status during the still unkown duration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(21): 854-860.