TAMPA, Fla. — We have all learned a lot about viruses and vaccines throughout the pandemic. However, maybe not all people, because now some are trying to treat and prevent COVID-19 with a medicine meant for killing parasites, usually in large animals.
Even the FDA is fed up.
In a tweet, the agency warns about using Ivermectin, saying, "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously y'all, stop it."
Ivermectin is a commonly used medicine, and it is even used in humans. However, it is not an anti-viral drug.
"They use it for river blindness, which is a huge problem in a lot of parts of the developing world. They use it for roundworm, pen worm, it can be used for lice," Dr. Fred Aleguas said. He's the managing director for the Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa.
Since it is not meant to treat viruses, it will not do anything to cure or prevent a virus like COVID-19. However, the Ivermectin you can buy online or at the store is not the same as the form that would be prescribed for a human in a doctor's office. The details are in the dose.
"The Ivermectin you can get over the counter, like at Tractor Supply, it comes preloaded in a syringe dose for a 1,250 pound animal. It's a much larger animal, and much more concentrated than what a human would take," said Dr. Emily Weaver. She is a veterinarian with Land O' Lakes Equine, and specifically works with horses. Weaver uses Ivermectin on a regular basis for treating horses with parasites.
"Animal products are designed for animals, so the dosing is specific for an animal. It would be very easy to overdose a human on animal products," Weaver explained.
Dr. Aleguas adds a dose for a human is significantly lower than one for a large animal.
"The average dose for an adult would be somewhere between 9 and 15 milligrams, and that is based on a dose per kilogram. Formulations available for vet use come in a concentration of 10 milligrams per one milliliter. So, one mL is a fifth of a teaspoon, so there are 50 milligrams in a teaspoon full. You can see how very easy it could be to unintentionally overdose," Aleguas described.
Not only will Ivermectin do nothing for COVID, but you are also putting your health at risk by potentially taking a dose meant for an animal.
While most of these situations are happening in Mississippi and Louisiana, Florida has seen some cases as well. Since January of this year, the Florida Poison Information Center says it has seen 65 exposures to Ivermectin.
While it does not seem like a high number, it is concerning that nearly half of those exposures were in August. The age range for exposures also varied, from 19 months to 78 years old.
Luckily, most of the exposures had minor or no effects, but experts are worried about the trending numbers.
"If you look at those previous months, we had half a dozen per month, and you do expect that sort of issue with the misuse of medication," Aleguas said. "One thing to keep in mind, these calls are from the network, these are calls that people make, or their physicians make, and this is definitely underreported."
Ivermectin is an FDA approved drug, but that approval is only for its use in treating certain parasites. But, what is FDA approved to prevent COVID is Pfizer's vaccine.
So seriously, you're not a horse or a cow, don't take medication meant for them. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, head to this link.