A popular movement, without medical endorsement, has triggered the use in the United States of the antiparasitic drug for livestock ivermectin as a treatment against COVID-19. But as consumption increases, calls for emergencies for poisoning and overdose with this drug have also increased, according to data shared by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).
The CDC bases its report on data obtained by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, which highlights that there were fivefold calls for complications with ivermectin during the month of August compared to what occurred in July.
Although it is a medicine for animal use, it is sometimes prescribed in small doses for human use, in cases of problems with parasites, scabies or lice.
On social networks, ivermectin has become a treatment recommended by thousands of people who oppose vaccines by disbelieving in the process of their development. The most resonant case this week is that of Texas radio host Caleb Wallace, who had gained national relevance for opposing the use of masks and vaccines. Three weeks ago, Wallace said he had contracted COVID-19 and that he had decided to treat his case with ivermectin, vitamin C and zinc pills. This week Wallace passed away, leaving three girls orphaned, plus a baby on the way.
Pharmacies in the United States have reported that by mid-August, an average of 88,000 boxes of ivermectin had been purchased per week, while the weekly average two months ago was 3,600 cases a week. Even in some cities there has been a shortage of the drug, something that has never happened before.
The treatment is not approved by the FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration). However, there are doctors who are prescribing it.
In Ohio, on the outskirts of Cincinnati, a woman went to court to demand that the hospital where her husband was hospitalized for coronavirus be treated with ivermectin. The case took place because one of the doctors attending the patient - who was connected to an automatic ventilator - wanted to use the medicine, but the hospital's medical board did not allow it. In fact, that doctor started a national campaign among doctors to promote the use of ivermectin.
Those who get a prescription for the drug are less at risk, because when buying it in a pharmacy the dose is usually very low. But the vast majority of those who are taking this drug do so by self-medication and get it in veterinary centers. In these places, ivermectin comes as a paste or a highly concentrated liquid, putting those who consume it at great risk.
“You're not a horse, you're not a cow. Seriously. To everyone. Enough is enough,” says a message posted on the FDA's official Twitter account referring to an article explaining why people should not take ivermectin medication. Similarly, the CDC and the National Institutes of Health advised against its use.
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