the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, over the weekend, the US FDA renewed its warning that the anti-parasitic animal drug ivermectin should not be used to treat or prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans. The FDA’s message appeared on Twitter with the statement “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.” The tweet linked to the agency’s previous statement posted in March 2021. The reiterated warning came a day after the Mississippi State Department of Health issued an alert warning people against using the drug.
Ivermectin is commonly used to prevent heartworm and other parasites in animals, and the drug is FDA-approved to treat humans with intestinal complications caused by parasitic worms and for topical use for conditions such as head lice and rosacea. However, ivermectin is not approved for nor recommended by the FDA to treat or prevent COVID-19. According to internal US CDC data reviewed by ABC News, distribution of the drug during the first week of August increased 19-fold. If used improperly, ivermectin can cause several potentially serious side effects, including seizures, coma, or death.
