Abstract

This study aimed to study the effect of ivermectin addition in the management of patients with comorbidities who tested positive for Covid-19 infection in Delta State. Patients who were hospitalized with a pre-diagnosis of severe comorbidity and thereafter diagnosis of Covid-19 were also confirmed microbiologically with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) positivity in the respiratory tract sample were included in the study. Patients that met the following criteria were accepted with severe comorbidity and they were all randomized into the study and control groups respectively. The presence of tachypnea ≥25/min, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) level < 93% in room air, also partial pressure oxygen (PaO2)/(FiO2) < 310 in oxygen receiving patients. Acute organ dysfunction findings; patient with SOFA (sepsis-related organ failure assessment) score < 4. The reference treatment recommended by NDCC for Covid-19 (SARS CoV-2 Infection) was applied to both patients in the Study Group and Control Group respectively. Also, patients in the study group received Ivermectin treatment in the form of Tablet 12mg each for enteral use for 5 days. A total of 72 patients, were included in the study of which 40 were included in the study group and 32 in the control group, 12 patients were excluded from the study due to mutation which affects ivermectin metabolism. They were only given reference treatment. The demographic data and pre-treatment clinical and laboratory findings of the patients were compared no significant difference was found between the study group and the control group in any of the parameters. Baseline demographics and characteristics of patients were well-balanced between the study group and the control group. The majority had pulmonary diseases in both the study and the control group which is (89%), (89%) (and 86%) from the study group had hypertension while those in the control area (75%), zero persons had kidney failure in the study group while those in the control group are up to 20%, the number of cardiac arrests in the study group is 51% compared to 35% in the control group, the number of patients with diabetes mellitus is high in the control group with 46% having diabetes mellitus while those in the study group are 33%, 6% of the study group have Malignancy while none of the patients have it in the study group, 3% of the control group have immunodeficiency while none have it in the study group, none of the patients in both the study group and the control group, while 20% of patients in the study group have liver failure compared to 16% in the control group. The findings gotten from the use of Ivermectin in the treatment of patients with comorbidities who tested positive for Covid-19, it shows that the drug can provide an increase in clinical recovery and an improvement in prognostic laboratory parameters. There should be a consideration for the use of ivermectin as an alternative drug that can be used in the treatment of Covid-19 disease or it should be used as an additional drug to the existing protocols.