Ivermectin: Unproven & Unsafe
Misuse of Anti-Parasitic Leads to Jump in Poisonings
By Ewa Lapcyznska and Grace Lysell
Since the World Health Organization deemed COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic on March 11, 2020, the medical community has been committed to finding the best treatments to fight the virus.
While most cases of COVID-19 do not require medical intervention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved one treatment for severe cases of the virus, an intravenous antiviral drug Remdesivir. In addition to the research-backed treatment options, the internet has been flooded with many products claiming to treat or even cure the virus.
The latest trending treatment spreading the internet is Ivermectin, an antiparasitic. The drug is given orally to prevent heartworm in small pets like cats and dogs, but can also be given to horses in the form of a paste.
The FDA has approved this medication for humans to treat threadworms in the small intestine and some other parasitic infections.
Stemming from the hashtags #IvermectinForHumans, #IvermectinWorks, and #Ivermectin4Covid, TikTok and other social media platforms were flooded with misinformation surrounding the medication in August 2021. Many videos display people buying or taking the variety of the drug meant for horses, which is easily accessible at most feed and farm supply stores, not the human-safe tablet prescribed by a doctor.
The surge of misinformation around the drug peaked on September 2, 2021, when internet personality Joe Rogan shared that he was taking Ivermectin after testing positive for COVID-19.
On his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan said about the medication, “They keep saying I’m taking horse dewormer. I literally got it from a doctor. It’s an American company.”
Despite some doctors having prescribed Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, the medical community at large does not support this use of the drug. According to the FDA, “The levels of ivermectin for approved human uses can interact with other medications, like blood-thinners. You can also overdose on ivermectin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension, allergic reactions, dizziness, ataxia, seizures, coma and even death.”
Doctor William Zic is a registered nurse, who holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree, entered the medical field, first as an EMT, and monitor technician back in 1993. He left the active medical field to participate in academia on a full time basis at Dominican University in 2019. Over the course of the pandemic, he led critical care students through their clinical rotations at Christ Hospital where he interacted with COVID-19 patients.
“I know that the FDA has not approved this Ivermectin for the use of COVID-19,” said Dr. William Zic. “Because it is impossible to get a correct dose with this medication. Harm can come because Ivermectin can be overdosed by patients that use it for COVID-19. And the FDA has actually put out an effort to educate. They have put out the word that please do not use this in the hospitals. I know that health care providers are also not able to prescribe this within hospital settings, or there will be repercussions for their practice licensure.”
Though many social media sites continue to push the use of Ivermectin, medical professionals strive to educate the public.
“Opinions may not always be factual,” said Dr. Zic. “So my advice to social groups is, if you’re going to post something about something for COVID-19, please make sure that it has been researched. That there is peer reviewed research that exists in medicine that can substantiate your position in other words. I would further challenge that they could post websites from where they get that information.”
He warns of using Ivermectin and the harm of misinformation when dealing with the COVID-19 Virus. Dr. Zic has worked closely with COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic as an instructor leading Dominican Critical Care students through clinicals. During this period he has seen the effect of misinformation campaigns leading patients to put their lives at risk.
The misuse of Ivermectin has led to two deaths and a 245% jump in overdoses from July to August of this year. As reported by NPR, states with the lowest rates of vaccination are seeing the highest jumps in poisonings.
Not only is there fear of hospitals being over capacitated this Fall, an influx of overdose patients are entering emergency rooms across the country. This pandemic has put unforeseen amounts of stress on medical professionals for the past couple of years, as they have been fronting the battle against COVID-19. Now more than ever there needs to be a push for factual education as the country’s hospitals are at risk of being understaffed and over capacity.
“I really hope that if someone reads what you’re producing, that they can see the voice of educated research and reason and perhaps gain more of a trusting understanding of this entire pandemic,” said Dr. Zic. “That is my hope.”
