Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Doxycycline on COVID-19 Patients

Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial on Using Ivermectin With Doxycycline for Treating COVID-19 Patients in Baghdad, Iraq

A randomized controlled trial on using Ivermectin and doxycycline to treat mild-moderate outpatients, severe, and critical inpatients of Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) along with standard of care. Seventy Iraqi COVID-19 patients received Ivermectin and Doxycycline plus standard of care versus seventy Iraqi COVID-19 patients received standard of care only. .

Objectives: COVID-19 patients suffer from the lack of curative therapy. Hence, there is an urgent need to try old re-purposed drugs on COVID-19. Methods: Randomized controlled study on 70 COVID-19 patients (48 mild-moderate, 11 severe, and 11 critical patients) treated with 200ug/kg PO of Ivermectin per day for 2 days along with 100mg PO doxycycline twice per day for 5-10 days plus standard therapy; the second arm is 70 COVID-19 patients (48 mild-moderate and 22 severe and zero critical patients) on standard therapy. The time to recovery, the progression of the disease, and the mortality rate were the outcome-assessing parameters.

Ivermectin 200ug/kg PO per day for two days, and in some patients who needed more time to recover, a third dose 200ug/kg PO per day was given 7 days after the first dose. Doxycycline 100mg capsule PO every 12h per day was given for 5-10 days, based on the clinical improvement of patients. In addition, standard of care was given to the patients of Ivermectin-Doxycycline group based on the clinical condition of each patient.

Control group: The patients in this group received only standard care which included all or some of the following, according to the clinical condition of each patient.

Ivermectin 200ug/kg PO per day for two days, and in some patients who needed more time to recover, a third dose 200ug/kg PO per day was given 7 days after the first dose. Doxycycline 100mg capsule PO every 12h per day was given for 5-10 days, based on the clinical improvement of patients. In addition, standard care was given to the patients of Ivermectin-Doxycycline group based on the clinical condition of each patient.

Standard care Acetaminophen 500mg on need Vitamin C 1000mg twice/ day Zinc 75-125 mg/day Vitamin D3 5000IU/day Azithromycin 250mg/day for 5 days Oxygen therapy/ C-Pap if needed dexamethasone 6 mg/day or methylprednisolone 40mg twice per day, if needed Mechanical ventilation, if needed

time needed by treated patients to recover (become symptoms free and polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, negative)

Inclusion Criteria: COVID-19 patients at any stage of this disease Exclusion Criteria: Patients of allergic history to Ivermectin or to doxycyline