The pandemic corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by (SARS-CoV-2) a single stranded-RNA virus, has been spread rapidly worldwide with high rate of morbidity and mortality. Few months after the spread of the pandemic, few medications have proven to be efficient in human clinical trials. Several antiviral drugs have been used outside the scope of their initial medical use, such as lopinavir, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin. Recent researches were done to show the efficacy of ivermectin in reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA within 2 days. The use of ivermectin in in vitro studies has proven its efficacy against Corona virus. Based on the potency of ivermectin in in vitro studies, various clinical trials including patients infected with COVID-19 have been started; most of them have not been completed yet. Since the way how the virus infects the cells in vitro and in vivo is different, a decisive comment about how the ivermectin could exactly be beneficial to the patients has not been proven yet. Nevertheless, if ivermectin is compared to the other therapeutic treatments available for COVID-19 management, ivermectin has proved to have leverage over them. New randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of ivermectin the management of COVID-19 are strongly and urgently needed.

The pandemic corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by (SARS-CoV-2) a single stranded-RNA virus, has been spread rapidly worldwide with high rate of morbidity and mortality. The first known case was recorded in December 2019 and then spread to various continents, including Europe, the United States and Africa, while the exact behaviour of the virus and its pathogenicity are not yet fully known [1]. Most of the cases are categorized as mild, for whom clinical monitoring and symptomatic treatment is recommended despite providing symptomatic treatment, a therapeutic medication that would limit the course of viral activity is needed [2].

Few months after the spread of the pandemic, few medications have proven to be efficient in human clinical trials. Several antiviral drugs have been used outside the scope of their initial medical use, such as lopinavir, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin. Recent researches were done to show the efficacy of ivermectin in reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA within 2 days [3].

Ivermectin, a widely used drug to treat a range of diseases, with its antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-cancer properties, is thought to act at different protein-binding sites to reduce viral replication, consequently many countries have included ivermectin in their treatment protocols [4].

The use of ivermectin in in-vitro studies has proven its efficacy against Corona virus. Based on the potency of ivermectin in in-vitro studies, various clinical trials including patients infected with COVID-19 have been started; most of them have not been completed yet. Since the way how the virus infects the cells in vitro and in vivo is different, a decisive comment about how the ivermectin could exactly be beneficial to the patients has not been proven yet [5]. Nevertheless, if ivermectin is compared to the other therapeutic treatments available for COVID-19 management, ivermectin has proved to have leverage over them. To clarify, the side effects associated with some therapeutic medications as hydroxycloroquine or the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir are not seen in patients using ivermectin. In addition, the therapeutic regimen with ivermectin turns out to be more cost-effective. The therapeutic regimen using antiviral drugs or the combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine turns out to be much more expensive than the one using ivermectin. Taking into consideration these merits, it is imperative to prove whether ivermectin could be beneficial to the patients infected with Covid-19 virus or not [2, 5, 6].

In conclusion, ivermectin could have an important role in the management of COVID-19. New randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of ivermectin the management of COVID-19 are strongly and urgently needed.