Ivermectin does not reduce risk of hospitalization for COVID-19: Study

Ivermectin has been touted by many despite showing no success.

The antiparasitic drug ivermectin did not reduce the risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a large study published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Ivermectin was popularized as an alternative COVID-19 treatment despite a lack of strong evidence it helps. The recent study is among the largest that has failed to show a benefit.

In the study, researchers in Brazil compared more than 1,300 patients, some given ivermectin and others given a placebo, and found no difference between the groups.

"In this randomized trial, the administration of ivermectin did not result in a lower incidence of medical admission to a hospital or prolonged emergency department observation for Covid-19 among outpatients at high risk for serious illness," researchers said.