A person was admitted to a Mississippi hospital after taking the veterinary drug ivermectin allegedly to treat Covid-19 as the state continued to rely on growing resistance to vaccines and unconventional treatments to fight the deadly contagion.
Ivermectin, a drug used primarily to treat worms in horses, has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The patient, now suffering from ivermectin toxicity, has been hospitalized, the state health department confirmed, Mississippi Free Press reported. The patient’s condition and timing of the incident were not disclosed.
Mississippi State Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Dobbs, urged people not to rely on unusual medications to avoid contracting Covid-19.
Since these are potential toxicities, Dr. Dobbs that people are trying to use ivermectin as a preventive drug, which is “kind of crazy”. “So please don’t do that,” said Dr. Dobbs on Friday.
Dr. Stressed that ivermectin is not a replacement for Covid-19 vaccines, Dobbs said, “You know, please work with your doctor. This is medical treatment. You wouldn’t get your chemotherapy in a feed store. I mean, you don’t want to treat your pneumonia with your pet’s medication.
Incorrect dosages of medication that is a specific drug for horses or a cow can prove dangerous, the doctor said.
The claim was supported by the FDA, which clearly stated that ivermectin is not approved for the treatment or prevention of Covid-19 in humans.
The FDA says ivermectin is not an antiviral drug: “The drug is approved in very specific doses for some parasitic worms, and there are topical (on the skin) formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea.”
Mississippi, an active Covid-19 hotspot in the United States, has the second lowest vaccination rate. The state is ravaged by the outbreak and faces “the worst part of the pandemic” in a week, said Dr. Dobbs after more than 20,000 students were quarantined for Covid-19 exposure, the Washington Post reported.
The state saw a record-breaking 7,839 Covid-19 cases earlier this week on Monday, and more than 4,000 new cases were recorded in Mississippi on Wednesday.
Senior officials and health experts are pushing for Covid-19 vaccination as a way out to break the chain of transmission and combat the outbreak of the disease.
“It’s effective and extremely safe. Covid killed nearly 8,000 people from Mississippi, but we saw very few side effects from the vaccine, ”said Dr. Dobbs, quoted by the Washington Post.