Ivermectin & Carrageenan Study Shows Positive Results Targeting COVID-19

Figure 1.  I-MASK+ (Prophylaxis & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for Covid-19)

Headline News

FDA Drops Ivermectin Bombshell  (08/11/2023)

Doctors are free to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID-19, a lawyer representing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said this week. 

Top Yale Doctor/Researcher: ‘Ivermectin works,’ including for long-haul COVID

Oxford University explores anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as COVID-19 treatment (06/23/2021)

In an open-label randomized clinical trial of high-risk patients with COVID-19 in Malaysia, a 5-day course of oral ivermectin administered during the first week of illness did not reduce the risk of developing severe disease compared with standard of care alone. (02/18/2022)

Based in the southern end of Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina, Eurnekian Public Hospital recently sponsored a clinical trial targeting COVID-19 called the IVERCAR study.^[2] The sponsor was joined by other local hospitals acting as trial site organizations. 

The study team recruited 1,195 health professionals of which 407 received no treatment and 788 self-administered ivermectin oral drops and an iota-carrageenan nasal spray five times per day over a 14 day period.

The Argentinian study team reported that the study data revealed that of the participants in the control group (e.g. not taking the study drug combination) 58% of the participants were infected with COVID-19 during the duration of the trial. The treatment group reported no contagions were recorded in the carrageenan and ivermectin arm, showcasing the compounds’ virucidal effects can potentially protect against COVID-19.^[1]

Figure 2.  Warning: Do not take Ivermectin for horses or cows only.

If you ever take it, should take it from your doctor and be monitored.

Highlights for ivermectin

1. Ivermectin oral tablet is available as a brand-name drug and a generic drug. Brand-name: Stromectol.
• Ivermectin also comes as a cream and a lotion you apply to your skin.
• Ivermectin oral tablet is used to treat parasitic infections of your intestinal tract, skin, and eyes.
• See Ivermectin information published on the Mayo Clinic here.  Note that when this article was written the link to the Mayo Clinic article existed.  But, later probably due to FDA's opposition of prescribing Ivermectin to COVID-19, it was removed.
2. Ivermectin is FDA-approved for use in animals for prevention of heartworm disease in some small animal species, and for treatment of certain internal and external parasites in various animal species. 
• FDA warns that  people should never take animal drugs, as the FDA has only evaluated their safety and effectiveness in the particular species for which they are labeled. Using these products in humans could cause serious harm. 
• Ivermectin should be prescribed by your doctor.
3. In [9], Pierre Kory et al. had reviewed the emerging evidence demonstrating the efficacy of Ivermectin in the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19
• Ivermectin is also used as one of the ingredients in the Prophylaxis & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for Covid-19 announced at the FLCCC Alliance Press Conference (see video 1)
• See FLCCC Alliance web site for more clinical studies

Figure 3.  Ivermectin was said to have high activity against Covid-19

Side Effects of Ivermectin

More common side effects

The side effects of this drug depend on the condition being treated.

The more common side effects of this drug when it’s used to treat intestinal infections include:

• tiredness
• loss of energy
• stomach pain
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• dizziness
• sleepiness or drowsiness
• itchiness

The more common side effects of this drug when it’s used to treat skin and eye infections include:

• joint pain and swelling
• swollen and tender lymph nodes
• itching
• rash
• fever
• eye problems

If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

• Pain in your neck and back
• Serious eye problems. Symptoms can include:
• redness
• bleeding
• swelling
• pain
• loss of vision
• Shortness of breath
• Inability to control urination
• Inability to control bowel movements
• Trouble standing or walking
• Confusion
• Extreme tiredness
• Extreme drowsiness
• Seizures
• Coma
• Low blood pressure, especially when you get up after sitting or lying down. Symptoms can include:
• lightheadedness
• dizziness
• fainting
• Severe skin reactions. Symptoms can include:
• severe rash
• redness
• blistering skin
• peeling skin
• Liver damage. Symptoms can include:
• tiredness
• nausea
• vomiting
• loss of appetite
• pain on the right side of your stomach
• dark urine
• yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes

More about Ivermectin

Read [2] for more information regarding Ivermectin's other effects:

• Interaction with other medications
• Other warnings for people with
• Allergy 
• Certain health conditions
• Others 

Video 1.  Ivermectin Toxicity Reviewed (YouTube link)

Video 2.  William C. Campbell - Nobel Lecture: Ivermectin: A reflection on simplicity (YouTube link)

Video 3.  Home ivermectin based kits in India (YouTube link)

Video 4.  New Pfizer drug and ivermectin (YouTube link)

Highlights of Carrageenan 

1. Different forms of carrageenan have different uses and potential risks
2. Carrageenan is a common food additive extracted from red seaweed
• Manufacturers often use it as a thickening agent
3. FDA have approved the additive for use, but concerns about its safety remain
• Some scientists believe that carrageenan can cause inflammation, digestive problems, such as bloating and irritable bowel disease (IBD), and even colon cancer
• However, the validity of these claims is hotly debated because the only supporting evidence comes from studies in cells and animals
4. In IVERCAR study and Healthcare Technology Institute (HTI) study, both use carrageenan in their nasal spray as the prophylaxis and treatment of Covid-19
• To maintain the advantage of λcarrageenan’s intrinsic anti-viral capacity,^[12-14] HTI has formulated a composite mixture containing increasing amounts of gellan to λcarrageenan to allow for the optimization of its nasal therapy.
5. In a new clinical trial named "Iota-carrageenan Nasal Spray COVID-19 Prophylaxis for Healthcare Professionals (ICE-COVID)", it claims that:

SARS-CoV-2 is a positive-sense single-stranded enveloped RNA virus which transmits via droplets, aerosols and direct contact, to reach their target naso- and oropharyngeal epithelial cells through initial electrostatic interactions to cell surface heparan sulphate (HS) proteoglycans. Carrageenan mimics cell surface HS, thereby trapping the virus to allow mucociliary clearance and has demonstrated anti-viral activity in-vitro and in a number of common cold clinical trials when administered as a nasal spray.

Final Words

Consult with your physicians for the final decision of using this option for Covid-19 prevention or treatment.  This article presented here is just for your information only.  Note that COVID-19 is a serious disease and everyone, if infected by SARS-CoV-2, could have different outcome.

Reference

1. Argentina’s IVERCAR Ivermectin & Carrageenan Study Shows Positive Results Targeting COVID-19
2. USEFULNESS of Topic Ivermectin and Carrageenan to Prevent Contagion of Covid 19 (IVERCAR)
3. Ivermectin, oral tablet
4. Formulation of a composite nasal spray enabling enhanced surface coverage and prophylaxis of SARS-COV-2
5. Harden EA, Falshaw R, Carnachan SM, Kern ER, Prichard MN. Virucidal activity of polysaccharide extracts from four algal species against herpes simplex virus. Antiviral Res. 2009 Sep;83(3):282-9. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2009.06.007. Epub 2009 Jul 1.
6. Carlucci MJ, Scolaro LA, Noseda MD, Cerezo AS, Damonte EB. Protective effect of a natural carrageenan on genital herpes simplex virus infection in mice. Antiviral Res. 2004 Nov;64(2):137-41.
7. Ashraf S, Prichard R. Ivermectin exhibits potent anti-mitotic activity. Vet Parasitol. 2016 Aug 15;226:1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.06.015. Epub 2016 Jun 11.
8. Is carrageenan safe to eat?
9. Review of the Emerging Evidence Demonstrating the Efficacy of Ivermectin in the Prophylaxis and Treatment of COVID-19
10. Efficacy and safety of iota-carrageenan nasal spray versus placebo in early treatment of the common cold in adults: the ICICC trial
11. Iota-carrageenan Nasal Spray COVID-19 Prophylaxis for Healthcare Professionals (ICE-COVID)
12. Carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of papillomavirus infection
13. Iota-Carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of rhinovirus infection
14. Prevention of human enterovirus 71 infection by kappa carrageenan
15. FAQ: COVID-19 and Ivermectin Intended for Animals
16. Ivermectin (Oral Route) (Mayo Clinic)
17. FLCCC Alliance (Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance)
18. Top Yale Doctor/Researcher: ‘Ivermectin works,’ including for long-haul COVID
19. Role of ivermectin in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers in India: A matched case-control study
• Two-dose ivermectin prophylaxis at a dose of 300 μg/kg with a gap of 72 hours was associated with a 73% reduction of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers for the following month.
20. Dr. William Campbell 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering an anti-parasitic drug (i.e., Ivermectin) that treats diseases caused by the roundworm
21. Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Trial Sequential Analysis to Inform Clinical Guidelines
• Moderate-certainty evidence finds that large reductions in COVID-19 deaths are possible using ivermectin. Using ivermectin early in the clinical course may reduce numbers progressing to severe disease. The apparent safety and low cost suggest that ivermectin is likely to have a significant impact on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic globally.
22. Effects of Ivermectin in Patients With COVID-19: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial
• Based on the findings from the present study, a single weight-based dose (0.2 mg/kg) of ivermectin could improve important clinical symptoms in patients with COVID-19, such as dyspnea, cough, and lymphopenia. This drug was well tolerated, with a good tolerability profile and few adverse events with oral administration.
23. The effect of early treatment with ivermectin on viral load, symptoms and humoral response in patients with non-severe COVID-19: A pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial (published by THE LANCET)
• Among patients with non-severe COVID-19 and no risk factors for severe disease receiving a single 400 mcg/kg dose of ivermectin within 72 h of fever or cough onset there was no difference in the proportion of PCR positives. There was however a marked reduction of self-reported anosmia/hyposmia, a reduction of cough and a tendency to lower viral loads and lower IgG titers which warrants assessment in larger trials.
24. Favorable outcome on viral load and culture viability using Ivermectin in early treatment of non-hospitalized patients with mild COVID-19 – A double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial
25. Effects of Ivermectin therapy on the sperm functions of Nigerian onchocerciasis patients
26. Exploring the binding efficacy of ivermectin against the key proteins of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis: an in silico approach
• Ivermectin was found to be an efficient inhibitor of Mpro, replicase and hTMPRSS2 and the study manifests a superior ground for the candidature of ivermectin to be an efficient anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic option.
27. UTTAR PRADESH Going the last mile to stop COVID-19
28. Rapid initiation of nasal saline irrigation to reduce morbidity and mortality in COVID+ outpatients: a randomized clinical trial compared to a national dataset
• Participants were randomly assigned adding 2.5 mL povidone-iodine 10% or 2.5 mL sodium bicarbonate to 240ml of isotonic nasal irrigation twice daily for 14 days.
29. Interim analysis of an open-label randomized controlled trial evaluating nasal irrigations in non-hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019
30. Iota-carrageenan neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 and inhibits viral replication in vitro