Arkansas Poisons Hotline is flooded with calls about ivermectin deworming after state lawmakers declared it a COVID drug despite CDC warnings
- Ivermectin, a drug for deworming cows and horses, has been used as a COVID-19 treatment method in Arkansas after lawmakers promoted it on social media.
- The Arkansas Poison Center reported that 24 people called this year after ingesting the drug
- Americans have come to take Ivermectin despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) not to do so, due to the danger it poses to human health
- An overdose of vermmectin can cause serious effects in humans ranging from gastrointestinal problems to severe seizures and even death.
Arkansas ’official poison phone line has received four times as many calls about using an anti-deworming drug as an unauthorized COVID treatment this year than in the last four years together.
The Arkansas Poison Center has received 24 calls from people who have ingested Ivermectin so far this year, having previously received only six of those calls in total between 2016 and 2020.
Although ivermectin can be used to treat other conditions in people, experts say the doses given to animals are much higher and should never be ingested by people.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved its use for humans, but for parasitic infections and skin diseases, and not as a COVID treatment.
Ivermectin has not been approved to treat COVID-19, but it has gained attention on social media after Republican lawmakers in Arkansas urged it to be used for this purpose.
Ivermectin can be used in humans, but in much smaller doses than those used in animals. The drug is a popular dewormer, although some buy veterinary versions of the drug for use in COVID-19 treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has warned Americans that it is dangerous to take ivermectin as a COVID treatment, even though it continues to fly off the shelves.
However, large doses of this drug can cause serious harm to humans if ingested.
It was reported that those who ingested the drug suffered from gastrointestinal as well as neurological problems.
“Ivermectin can be prescribed off-label for other uses, and that’s a decision between a doctor and a patient,” Arkansas Health Secretary Jose Romero told KATV.
The Arkison Poison Center received 24 calls this year after ingesting Ivermectin that caused effects related to gastrointestinal and neurological problems.
On August 24, the State Department of Health issued a warning to prevent the use of the drug as a way to treat COVID-19.
Dr. Marti Sharkey, a public health officer in the city of Fayetteville, said the belief that Ivermectin could be used as a treatment method came from a study that showed that high doses of the drug prevented COVID-19 from reproducing. .
“We have an FDA-approved vaccine that prevents serious illness and death, and monoclonal antibodies have been FDA-approved for emergency use, decreasing the need for hospitalization for those at high risk for complications. Sharkey told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
‘We have tools that we know work. I don’t understand why I would resort to a therapy that is not FDA approved, that is not proven against Covid-19 and is potentially lethal. “
Dr. Howell Foster, director of the Arkison Poison Center, was one of the leading public health officials in promoting the prevention of the use of Ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment method.
“The takeaway food is that veterinary products are not formulated for humans,” Dr. Howell Foster, director of the Arkison Poison Center.
“They’re in very high concentrations because we’re giving them to very large animals and you have to be very careful with that.”
The FDA website said an overdose of the drug can cause more serious reactions ranging from stomach-related problems to seizures. Death has also been categorized as a possibility.
You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, everyone. Stop it, ”the FDA posted on Twitter.
Dr. Jose Romero, the Arkansas health secretary, also made a statement as to why COVID cases in the southern United States have continued to rise
The drug has also been used to treat inmates at the Washington County Jail in Fayetteville, which was criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union, although the procedure was reported to be voluntary.
Dr Romero told KHBS: “What we are seeing in the south and not just in our state is that humans are taking veterinary grade Ivermectin.
“There is an increase in the number of cases in both adults and children.”
“It’s gotten to the point where it’s important to make this public announcement that you have to be careful not to take what’s designed for large animals.”