Self-prescribed Ivermectin use is associated with a lower rate of seroconversion in health care workers diagnosed with COVID, in a dose-dependent response.

Background: Over-the-counter use of ivermectin amongst other drugs as SARS-CoV-2 treatment has been increasingly common, despite the lack of evidence on its clinical efficacy.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of ivermectin use on production of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in health care workers (HCW) diagnosed with COVID-19 and of Th1/Th2 cytokines by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the same cohort (PBMCs).

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated seroconversion and neutralizing antibodies production in HCW at Complexo Hospitalar Universitário Professor Edgard Santos (Salvador, Brazil), diagnosed with COVID-19 from May to July, 2020, as well as in vitro production of antibody against SARS-CoV-2 and Th1/Th2 cytokines.