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‘You’re not a cow or horse’: FDA warns against using Ivermectin to treat Covid
In a statement, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has not approved Ivermectin for use in treating or preventing Covid-19 in humans as it is not a drug for treating viruses.
The US recently issued a strong warning against the use of Ivermectin to treat patients of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). In a statement, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has not approved Ivermectin for use in treating or preventing Covid-19 in humans as it is not a drug for treating viruses. “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it,” the FDA was quoted as saying by Bloomberg on Saturday.
The government body was sharply reacting towards the use of Ivermectin in Mississippi, the state worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic across the United States. Several people were found using the drug to cure the viral disease. Mississippi’s health department issued a warning that over 70 per cent of the recent calls to the poison department were from people who took Ivermectin bought at livestock supply centres, Bloomberg further reported.
What is Ivermectin?
According to the US FDA’s website, Ivermectin tablets are approved to treat people who are suffering from intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis, two conditions caused by parasitic worms. Additionally, “some topical (on the skin) forms of ivermectin are approved to treat external parasites like head lice and for skin conditions such as rosacea,” the website said.
Ivermectin is also used in animals such as horses and cows to prevent heartworm disease and specific internal and external parasites.
However, it is important to note that Ivermectin used for treating animals is different when compared to using the drug for treating human beings. The FDA said the drug has been approved in only smaller doses for humans while it is given in high doses to animals. “Animal drugs are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals like horses and cows, which can weigh a lot more than we do—a ton or more. Such high doses can be highly toxic in humans,” the FDA added.
‘Ivermectin’ menace in Mississippi
As mentioned earlier, Mississippi’s poison control centre has been seeing a rapid rise in calls where people have consumed Ivermectin- meant for treating animals, to treat the coronavirus disease. “The Mississippi Poison Control Center has received increased calls due to livestock or animal formulations of ivermectin taken to prevent or treat Covid-19 infection. Animal drugs are highly concentrated for large animals and can be highly toxic in humans. Do NOT take drugs made for animals in any form,” the department said in a Facebook post last Friday.
The department also said that 85 per cent of the callers who took the drug had only mild symptoms but one person was “was instructed to seek further evaluation due to the amount of Ivermectin reportedly ingested.”
Mississippi, apart from being the worst-hit state from Covid-19 across the United States, also has one of the lowest rates of vaccination. According to a report by ABC News, the state has been seeing a record surge in cases and hospitalisations. The Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are almost full to the brim.
Even though the vaccination drive has picked up some speed in the state, only 45.1 per cent of the population has received the first vaccine dose compared to the national average of 60.5 per cent.
(With Bloomberg inputs)
