Use of ivermectin and factors associated with the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19: a cross-sectional online survey in the province of Chincha, Peru

Abstract

Background: Peru has reported one of the highest mortality rates by COVID-19 worldwide. The Chincha province has been one of the most affected regions in Peru and the leading promoter of the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the frequency of use and factors associated with the use of ivermectin for COVID-19 in Chincha. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the second wave of COVID-19 in Peru. For statistical analyses, frequencies and percentages were reported. Prevalence ratios (PR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), and a p-value of 0.05 were used to determine statistical significance. The SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp) program was used for the analyses. Results: A total of 432 participants were included in the study; of these, 67.6% (n = 292) used ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 20.20% (n=59) using ivermectin only for prophylactic purposes, while 41.79% (n=122) used it only as treatment for COVID-19. The consumption of ivermectin was associated with age ≥ 50 years (PR:1.27, 95% CI:1.04–1.54), technical education level (PR:1.16, 95% CI:1.01–1.34), symptoms of COVID-19 with negative/no diagnosis (PR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.07–1.53), positive diagnosis (PR:1.38, 95% CI:1.18–1.61), and positive contact with infected people (PR:1.45, 95% CI:1.06–1.98). Conclusions: Most people in Chincha used ivermectin during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main factors associated with the use of ivermectin for the prevention/treatment of COVID-19 were age ≥50 years, having a technical education level, having had symptoms with negative/no diagnosis or positive diagnosis, and contact with people infected with SARS-CoV-2.