Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Ivermectin … Conservative/Liberal


Last week at lunch a friend of mine said that he knew someone who could get Ivermectin in Mexico. There was a group of eight of us, all conservative, at the table when this Ivermectin for treatment of Covid discussion took place. Seven of the eight are retired from different varied positions in the medical field … three of us are retired physicians. How many of us do you think requested that he have his friend get a supply of Ivermectin for themselves? 

If you guessed eight, you were “under,” as not only did everyone at the table  say, “yes, count me in,” but some in addition ordered enough to also treat their spouses.

Why Mexico? … because Ivermectin is not sanctioned as a treatment for Covid in the U.S.

A few days later I was with a group of mainly liberal physicians, and I asked the same question. With this group, zero … none … nada wanted a supply of nor would take Ivermectin.

For those not aware, Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug that is used to treat river blindness and intestinal roundworm infection in humans and to de-worm pets and livestock. Lotions and creams containing ivermectin are also used to treat head lice and rosacea.

From the Lancet in Jan., 2018:

“Ivermectin has been widely used for 30 years to combat onchocerciasis (River Blindness) and is rightly considered a wonder drug. Insect spraying used to be used for onchocerciasis, but no longer, as it was supplemented by, and ultimately replaced from the 1990s by, mass administration of ivermectin, a drug which kills microfilariae and prevents their release by the adult worms for several months. This mass treatment was made possible by the decision of Merck & Co to donate ivermectin for the control of onchocerciasis. Since ivermectin does not kill adult onchocerciasis, annual treatments are required to keep microfilarial densities low. To ensure distribution of the drug is sustained in the long term, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control implemented community-directed treatment with ivermectin. The programme has had an impressive impact; in most endemic foci, onchocerciasis is no longer a public health problem and transmission might have been interrupted in some foci. Ivermectin has been administered to approximately 3.7 billion people.

Why would anyone think that Ivermectin might be of benefit in Covid?

In early 2020, a paper was made public (before it was reviewed by other scientists) which showed ivermectin suppresses the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, under laboratory conditions. This was one of many studies over the past 50 years to show that the antiparisitic drug could also have antiviral uses.

In late 2020, a research group in India was able to summarise the results of four small studies of ivermectin as an add-on treatment in COVID-19 patients. This review showed a statistically significant improvement in survival among patients who received ivermectin in addition to other treatments.

But the authors stated clearly that the quality of the evidence was low and that the findings should be treated with caution. 

The drug company Merck, which manufactures ivermectin, has issued a statement saying there’s no scientific basisfor a potential therapeutic effect against COVID.

The FDA warned about the drug’s use for COVID in March.

But that hasn’t stopped people from seeking it out. In a new communication to its Health Alert Network, the CDC says cases of overdose and misuse are rising.

Now at this point I would suggest that we inject a dose of common sense. Of course side effects from the use Ivermectin are rising. Think about it for a second … a drug that is used by vets to treat large animals is being brought across the border from Mexico. For the most part those taking it are winging it – taking it without a prescription and without supervision. Should anyone be surprised that there are increasing side effects from this drug?

From Mississippi:

A letter from State Epidemiologist Paul Byers said that more than 70% of recent calls to the Mississippi Poison Control Center were related to the ingestion of ivermectin.

“Animal drugs are highly concentrated for large animals and can be highly toxic in humans,” Byers said in the letter, according to The Hill.

“Patients should be advised to not take any medications intended to treat animals and should be instructed to only take Ivermectin as prescribed by their physician,” he added.

There have been no hospitalizations, and he reported that 85% of the cases reported of poisoning involving Ivermectin led to mild symptoms.

Not exactly an emergency … mild symptoms and no hospitalizations, and this is in Mississippi where most people can read.

Now here’s where the common sense comes in! 

This drug has been safely used in humans in Africa for thirty years – in thirty years only about 100 deaths in the 3.7 billion that took the drug. In Africa it is used with some supervision at a standard regimented dose.

Why is this not done in the US. for Covid. It is dirt cheap. In the proper dose the side effects are very few. And … and … it may actually work, at least for some with Covid. (Anecdotal reports of amazing successes abound.)

Why not give MDs the go ahead to write prescriptions for Ivermectin now?

Perhaps everybody should have a small supply … just in case. 

Personally, I want some, and if liberals do not want to take Ivermectin, so be it.

9/4/21

www.californiacontrarian.com

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