Following several instances of poisonings, the US Food and Medication Administration has issued a caution to the public not to consume an anti-parasitic drug intended for cattle to treat or prevent COVID-19. It comes as a result of an increase in complaints to the Mississippi State Department of Health about instances in which humans were poisoned after swallowing the medication Ivermectin, which is widely used to de-worm livestock and is now being banned. Officials from the Mississippi Department of Health and Human Services are advising people not to use an anti-parasitic medication in most instances, a formulation bought from livestock supply stores to treat or prevent COVID-19.
According to state officials in Mississippi, where 37 percent of the population has gotten a complete vaccination, “an increasing number of calls from people who may have had possible Ivermectin exposure from medications used to treat and prevent COVID-19 infection” has been received.
Authorities Warn Not To Use Medication Intended For Animals In Humans
The FDA said that it had received “several instances of individuals who needed medical assistance and were admitted to hospitals after self-medicating with Ivermectin meant for horses,” according to the agency. The medication was the subject of tests last year. Still, a study supporting it as a possible therapy for the coronavirus was halted “due to ethical issues,” according to numerous experts who expressed their worries.
Mississippi’s State Department of Health gave notice on Friday, noting that perhaps the Mississippi Poison Control Center has been receiving an increasing number of calls from people who have taken the drug known as Ivermectin and that at least 70% of those calls have been related to “ingestion of livestock or animal formulas of ivermectin bought at livestock orders and deliver.” Although the medicine has a variety of human applications, the US Food and Drug Administration has not authorized Ivermectin for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 in humans, as well as the drug is not even an anti-viral drug.
“Ivermectin is a medication that has been authorized for use in both humans and animals. Patients should be cautioned not to take any medicines designed for use on animals, and they should be urged to only take Ivermectin in the amounts recommended by their doctor “According to the Mississippi State Department of Health’s warning, “Animal medicines are highly concentrated for use in big animals, and they may be very hazardous when administered to people. Rashes, nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort, neurologic problems, and possibly life-threatening hepatitis are among signs of ivermectin poisoning, which may need inpatient treatment.”
According to the warning, 85 percent of the callers reported only minor symptoms. However, one individual was advised to seek additional assessment because of the quantity of Ivermectin they reported to poison control having been consumed earlier. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States tweeted on Saturday, “You are not a horse in any way. You are not a cow in any way. Seriously, however, you all, put an end to it.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in March that individuals should not use Ivermectin to try to cure or prevent COVID-19. “Taking excessive dosages of this medication are hazardous and may result in severe damage,” the Food and Drug Administration said.
During the last year, Mississippi has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. In a statewide order issued Friday, state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs ordered residents who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 to “immediately home-isolate on first knowledge of infection” for 10 days from the date of onset of illness or the date of a positive test in the case of those who are not sick.
According to statistics from Johns Hopkins University, just around 37 percent of Mississippi’s population has received all of their vaccinations, a rate that is much lower than the national average. There has also been a record number of new cases reported during the last week, according to the latest available statistics.
