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  1. Home /
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  3. Vol 51 No 4 (2020): Damage Control Surgery (I) /
  4. Original Articles

COVID-19: The Ivermectin African Enigma

  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Author Biographies
  • References

Abstract

Introduction: The low frequency of cases and deaths from the SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 virus in some countries of Africa has called our attention to the unusual behavior of this disease.

 Aims:  Describe SARS-CoV2 infection and death rates in African countries that participated in an intensive Ivermectin mass campaign carried out to control onchocerciasis and compare them with those of countries that did not participate.

 Methods: Data from 19 countries that participated in the WHO sponsored  African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), from 1995 until 2015, intended to treat over 90 million people annually and protect an at-risk population of 115 million, were compared with thirty-five (Non-APOC), countries that were not included. Information was obtained from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ database.

 Results After controlling for different factors including the Human Development Index, APOC countries, show statistically significant 28% lower mortality (0.72 IC 95% 0,67-0,78) and 8% lower rate of infection (0.92 IC95% 0,91-0,93) due to COVID-19. 

 Conclusions:  The incidence in mortality rates and the number of cases is significantly lower among the APOC countries compared to non-APOC countries. That a mass public health preventive campaign against COVID-19 may have taken place, inadvertently, in some African countries with massive community ivermectin use is an attractive hypothesis. Additional studies are needed to confirm it.

Authors

  • Rodrigo Guerrero Universidad del Valle, Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Prevención de la Violencia y Promoción de la Convivencia Social, CISALVA, Cali, Colombia., Colombia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4683-7987
  • Luis Eduardo Bravo Universidad del Valle, Facultad de Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Departamento de Patología, Cali, Colombia, Colombia Registro Poblacional de Cáncer, Cali, Colombia., Colombia http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9708-0312
  • Edgar Muñoz University of Texas , Health Science Center San Antonio, Texas, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1555-8408
  • Elvia Karina Grillo Ardila Universidad del Valle, Facultad de Salud, Doctorado en Salud, Cali, Colombia., Colombia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9504-5153
  • Esteban Guerrero Barbara&Frick. Bogotá. Colombia., Colombia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9504-5153

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Keywords

  • Onchocerciasis
  • Ivermectin
  • Elephantiasis, Filaria
  • Albendazole
  • Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic
  • COVID-19
  • Life Expectancy
  • Onchocerciasis, Ocular
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
  • coronavirus 2
  • Coronavirus Infections

Author Biographies


, Universidad del Valle, Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Prevención de la Violencia y Promoción de la Convivencia Social, CISALVA, Cali, Colombia., Colombia

orcid_id14.png https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4683-7987


, Universidad del Valle, Facultad de Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Departamento de Patología, Cali, Colombia, Colombia Registro Poblacional de Cáncer, Cali, Colombia., Colombia

orcid_id14.png http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9708-0312


, University of Texas , Health Science Center San Antonio, Texas, USA

orcid_id14.png https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1555-8408


, Universidad del Valle, Facultad de Salud, Doctorado en Salud, Cali, Colombia., Colombia

orcid_id14.png https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9504-5153


, Barbara&Frick. Bogotá. Colombia., Colombia

orcid_id14.png https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9504-5153

References

WHO/APOC. The WHO African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control Final Evaluation Report [Internet]. 2015. Available from: www.who.int/apoc

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Sodahlon Y. Mectizan Donation Program. 2019 Annual Highlights [Internet]. Celebrating Milestones & Looking to the Future. 2019 [cited 2020 Aug 5]. p. 1-20. Available from: https://mectizan.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MDP_AH19_051920.pdf

Worldometer. Coronavirus Update (Live): Cases and Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic [Internet]. Worldometers. 2020. p. 1. Available from: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/%0Ahttps://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?

World Bank Group. Population , total - South Africa [Internet]. Vol. 19. 2020. p. 1-18. Available from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=ZA

R Core Team. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. [Internet]. Vienna Austria; 2020. Available from: https://www.r-project.org/

HDR. Human Development Report 2019: beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequalities in human development in the 21st century [Internet]. United Nations Development Program. 2019. Available from: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf

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World Health Organization. WHO methods and data sources for country-level causes of death 2000-2016 [Internet]. World Health Organization. 2018. Available from: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf

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Published
2020-12-07
Submitted
2020-11-05
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How to Cite
Guerrero, R., Bravo, L., Muñoz, E., Grillo Ardila, E., & Guerrero, E. (2020). COVID-19: The Ivermectin African Enigma. Colombia Médica, 51(4), e2014613. https://doi.org/10.25100/cm.v51i4.4613
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Vol 51 No 4 (2020): Damage Control Surgery (I)
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