Ivermectin shouldn’t be used to treat COVID, Auburn health experts say. What is it?
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on Georgia and Alabama, federal and state officials are urging residents not to look for treatment in farm and feed supply stores.
Social media may call ivermectin a “cure” for coronavirus, but an Auburn University professor says the livestock medication is not safe for human use.
“Animal formulations of ivermectin are not safe for human use,” Soren Rodning, who is also a veterinarian with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said in a news release from AU. “Bottom line — do not self-medicate with animal ivermectin products. I cannot emphasize this enough.”
Ivermectin is mostly used to treat parasites in animals, and may be prescribed to humans in tablet or topical form for treatment of parasitic worms, head lice and rosacea, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Side effects of taking ivermectin include vomiting, skin rash, stomach pain, facial or limb swelling and seizures, the FDA says.
The FDA has been warning the public about the use of ivermectin since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in April 2020, in a letter released to the public, Dr. Steven Solomon, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said using the form of the drug intended for animals can cause serious harm and health issues.
“Ivermectin is an important part of a parasite control program for certain species and should only be given to animals for approved uses or as prescribed by a veterinarian in compliance with the requirements for extra-label drug use,” Solomon said in the letter. “People should not take any form of ivermectin unless it has been prescribed to them by a licensed health care provider and is obtained through a legitimate source.”
The Alabama Poison Information Center at Children’s of Alabama has fielded more than two dozen ivermectin exposure calls so far. The majority of these calls were related to COVID-19, the release said.
The Georgia Poison Center received 23 calls in August related to ivermectin, compared to only a couple in a typical year, Georgia Health News reported.
Auburn University associate clinical professor of pharmacy Marilyn Bulloch wants the public to know that safety is key during these times.
“It would be wonderful to have a cheap oral medicine to treat COVID,” Bulloch said. “But the blood concentrations needed for the active ingredient are substantially higher than ever studied and is not safe in humans.”
