SAINT is a triple-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial with two parallel arms to evaluate the efficacy of ivermectin in negativizing nasopharyngeal PCR in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The trial is conducted in two national hospitals at Lima-Peru.~The planned sample size is 186 SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patients: 93 patients to treatment and 93 to the placebo group. Participants will be randomized to receive one dose of 300 mcg/kg ivermectin or placebo daily for three consecutive days. The epidemiologist will generate a list of correlative numbers, in randomized blocks of size 4, with the assignment to the treatment groups (a and b). The randomization list will be kept in an encrypted file accessible only to the trial statistician. This list will be handed directly to the pharmacist. Independently, the principal investigator will randomly assign the intervention (ivermectin) to one of the two groups (a or b) by tossing a coin, and will inform the pharmacist of the result of this process. The pharmacist will prepare and label the treatment vials according to the randomization list prepared by the epidemiologist and the treatment assignment given by the principal investigator. Eligible patients will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio using this randomization list.~Participants are expected to remain in the trial for a period of 21 days.~In the interests of public health and containing transmission of infection, follow-up visits will be conducted by the trial medical staff at the participant's home or at a hospital in case of hospitalization.~Follow-up visits will assess clinical and laboratory parameters of the patients.
SAINT-PERU is a triple-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial with two parallel arms to evaluate the efficacy of ivermectin in negativizing nasopharyngeal PCR in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The trial is conducted in two national hospitals at Lima-Peru.