The accompanying comment on twitter:

Observational study of Chile. Of the 160 COVID-19 patients, 80% of the ivermectin-treated group became PCR-negative in 2 days (30% of the 60 non-treated patients in the control group). Intensivist Jose Santander uses it for his family and is amazed at the results. "From an empirical point of view, ivermectin is effective, helpful and good," he said.

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Ivermectin isn't authorized for use against covid-19 in Chile.

What happened?
In several countries around the world, including Chile, the antiparasitic Ivermectin is being used as an experimental treatment against the coronavirus . There are currently more than 30 clinical trials to prove its effectiveness.

Despite the fact that the drug is usually used in people with problems due to parasites, a group of scientists in Australia found in February that in vitro the drug killed the virus in 48 hours.

Ivermectin in Chile
Dr. Sebastián Ugarte , head of the Critical Patient Unit at Clínica Indisa, was the first to apply this treatment in Chile.

"In our study we could see that in 160 patients treated with Ivermectin, in just 2 days, 80% of them had become negative; and in a comparison group, 60 patients who did not receive Ivermectin, only 30% in two days they had become negative for their PCR, "Ugarte explained.

In addition, he stated that: "In the current scenario that there may be a second wave, it is our duty to consider alternative therapy and not settle for simply giving comfort and organ support care without giving any kind of treatment while patients get worse in front of our own eyes."

Doctor used it in his family
The results surprised the doctors, so much so that one of the doctor's colleagues did not hesitate to use the antiparasitic when faced with a personal case.

"My mother, my sister, my brother-in-law, received doses of Ivermectin when they had the coronavirus, and my father, an 80-year-old asthmatic," said José Santander , an intensivist doctor.

"From the point of view of experience, Ivermectin influences, Ivermectin helps, the experience we have had has been favorable and this has been used in other countries," he added.

The doctor's father, also called José Santander, said that after testing positive for the coronavirus: "My old lady began to administer it to me and in four days I felt that it was improving, with four doses."

Ivermectin in Argentina
Ivermectin is used as early treatment in several Argentine provinces, but it has also been tested with hospitalized patients.

The former director of the Ezeiza Hospital, Dr. Héctor Eduardo Carvallo , explained that: "Once the patient requires hospitalization, from the mildest to the most severe, mortality reaches 26.8%, we lower mortality within the treated group to 3 , 1%, that is to say 7 times less ".

Opinions divided
Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil are some of the countries that already have protocols for the use of Ivermectin. However, at the scientific level there is controversy.

The Pan American Health Organization analyzed the data published on the drug up to May and concluded that: "the existing evidence is insufficient to reach a conclusion about its benefits and harms. Although the efficacy of Ivermectin is currently being evaluated in several studies randomized clinical trials ".

The director (s) of the Institute of Public Health of Chile, Heriberto García , explained that: "This is called off-label use (off-label) and that use in this case, we have indeed known that there are doctors who are employing it in a use that is not authorized, under its responsibility and its ethics committees ".

Meanwhile, Dr. Luis Delpiano , president of the Chilean Society of Infectious Diseases, stated that: "It still corresponds to a drug that, although it is known to have some in vitro activity against the virus, cannot be incorporated into the therapeutic arsenal of these patients."

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