In September 2020, people take a walk in Chicago's Northalsted neighborhood. (WTTW News)

Streeterville resident Valerio Cerron led an active lifestyle before testing positive for COVID-19 at the end of February.

Before the pandemic, the 35-year-old ran up to 5 miles a day, had a busy social life, and traveled frequently to work.

Although his coronavirus infection was mild, his symptoms lasted longer than expected by two to three weeks. "I still have symptoms of shortness of breath and chest pain," he said, adding that even long conversations can cause losses. "Sometimes I have to take a breath...It's a disturbing feeling, because you want to be better like everyone else."

Patrick McBuriatti can be linked. The 56-year-old author living in the North Center was once an avid cyclist, cycling about 2,000-3,000 miles a year. But when he contracted COVID-19 in March 2020, the situation changed. His condition is also very mild, but he has had symptoms for more than a year.

McBriarty and Cerron are known as long-distance transporters, and their COVID-19 symptoms persist long after the initial infection. In their quest to get better, each of them tried a variety of treatments, including an antiparasitic drug called ivermectin used to treat tropical diseases and scabies.

Read: When will COVID-19 infection become a disability?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved ivermectin for the treatment of many diseases, including parasites and head lice, but the agency has not approved it for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. 

Some doctors said it was time for the drug to be approved.

"Ivermectin is one of the safest drugs known in history," said Dr. Pierre Corey, a pulmonary and intensive care specialist in Wisconsin, who pointed out that the scientists who discovered the compounds that led to the development of the drug received a promise. Bell Award.

In December last year, when he testified before the U.S. Senate, Corey, on behalf of the Frontline COVID-19 Intensive Care Alliance, advocated the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 -19, which should be used immediately.

But Dr. Sajal Tanna, an infectious disease expert in Northwestern Medicine, said that this drug is not a "one size fits all drug" and should not be regarded as a treatment for COVID-19.

"Like all drugs, Ivermectin has side effects," Tanna said. "Ivermectin can interact with other drugs. It can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, hypotension and allergic reactions."

In the United States, the drug is only available by prescription, and the dosage depends on a person's weight. According to Tanna, he said it should be administered under the supervision of a doctor who is familiar with the patient's complete medical history.

Other health agencies have yet to decide on the use of the drug to treat COVID-19.

The National Institutes of Health said that there is insufficient data on ivermectin to make any recommendations for its use for the coronavirus. The World Health Organization stated that ivermectin can only be used in clinical trials.

But Kory and the Frontline COVID-19 Intensive Care Alliance say the drug is effective.

"There is a lot of controversy because the agencies said they need more data because this is what they have been doing," said Corey, the president and chief medical officer of the alliance. "A lot of success has been achieved, and many doctors are using it and saying it is really effective."

The alliance has developed protocols for the use of the drug to prevent and treat COVID-19, including guidelines for long-distance transporters.

McBriarty has been struggling with fluctuating fatigue, brain fog, dehydration and chest tightness for several months, and he said that his first ivermectin treatment has made a significant difference.

"Brain fog and fatigue are basically gone," he said. "I can now work a full day or two-thirds of the time, and then take a walk, walking 10,000 steps a day four to five days a week. I can live a normal life without being forced to stay in bed for a day or more once a week ."

McBriarty still felt tightness in his chest and throat, and said that he could not exercise as before contracting COVID-19, but he hopes the latest round of ivermectin can help.

Cerron said he felt improved after taking ivermectin for about a week, but decided to start a different treatment plan under the supervision of a doctor.

"My biggest thoughts on recovery-my main goal-will return to daily outdoor running, daily exercise, and some sort of social activity I did before," he said.

Dr. Tanna didn't believe it.

"I won't just jump to ivermectin," she said. "We at Northwestern University attach great importance to high-quality data. According to the World Health Organization and the FDA, we believe that ivermectin is not an effective treatment for COVID-19."

Instead, she said that long-distance transporters should seek treatment at one of the clinics dedicated to long-term COVID-19-according to the spokesperson, these clinics at Northwestern University, Rush University Medical Center, UChicago Medicine, and Shirley Ryan did not use Ivi Bacterin. Tana also said that patients with lingering symptoms should consider vaccinating the COVID-19 vaccine, which reportedly reduces the symptoms of some long-distance transporters, she said.

Although Kory advocates the use of ivermectin to prevent and treat COVID-19, he does not think it can replace vaccines.

"(Ivermectin) is a vaccine supplement and safety net. It should not be seen as a competitor," he said. "I know that many people will not get vaccinated for months or years. Some people cannot get vaccinated for some reason."

Cerron has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. McBriarty is not sure if he will get it, but he plans to continue using Ivermectin under Kory's supervision until all his symptoms disappear. Even so, he plans to keep the medicine at hand.

"100 years from now, we will have some form of COVID, and the vaccine we are developing now may work, but we don't know how long it will last. We need the largest possible toolkit to deal with it," he Say.

Contact Kristent Hometz: @kristenthometz | (773) 509-5452 | [email protected]

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