The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it has received multiple reports of patients trying to mistakenly treat COVID-19 with a drug for ivermectin used to deworm cattle.
The FDA claims that several people have been hospitalized after taking this version of ivermectin and have sent a corresponding tweet and message to highlight the situation.
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There is a less concentrated version of ivermectin designed for people, but it is only used to treat parasitic worms and has not been approved by the FDA to treat or prevent COVID-19, the organization wrote in a publication.
“Taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm,” the FDA wrote. “Never use medicines intended for animals. Ivermectin preparations for animals are very different from those approved for humans.
The FDA has repeatedly stressed that ivermectin is not a drug that should be used to prevent or treat COVID-19.
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“There’s a lot of misinformation around, and you may have heard that it’s okay to take large doses of ivermectin. That’s wrong,” the publication continued.
The news comes when U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy on Sunday criticized the role of social media in spreading COVID-19 misinformation.
On Monday, the FDA approved BioNTech BNTX,
and Pfizer PFE,
The COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first vaccine to get “complete” approval in the US
The BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine, as well as Moderna’s MRNA,
and Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ,
they received authorization for emergency use from the FDA.
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“I hope this approval will help increase confidence in our vaccine, as vaccination remains the best tool we have to help protect lives and achieve herd immunity,” said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, in a statement.