“You are not a horse. You are not a cow” is what the FDA said in response to people using ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19. Horse owners, who use the drug to deworm their animals, are now faced with empty shelves as the demand increases.
This is according to The Washington Post, who reported that American horse owners who need to treat their horses are experiencing difficulty when trying to buy the drug, because the demand is so high.
A syringe of ivermectin paste sold online by a Nebraska-based livestock supply distributor works on pinworms, hairworms, and largemouth stomach worms amongst others. Each syringe can treat a horse weighing up to 1 250 pounds, but the dewormer is now out of stock, The Washington Post adds.
In the same vein, several other horse owners in a Facebook group told BuzzFeed News that they have seen increases in ivermectin prices while one American retailer started requesting photo evidence that the customer owns a horse before selling the product.
BuzzFeed goes on to say that a $7 horse deworming treatment is reportedly commanding prices as high as $45 on Amazon as a result of unfounded claims that it’s a cure for COVID-19.
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) warned that it “has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals.”
“Ivermectin is approved for human use to treat infections caused by some parasitic worms and head lice and skin conditions like rosacea,” the FDA said.
You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it. https://t.co/TWb75xYEY4
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) August 21, 2021
The FDA further mentions: “Currently available data do not show ivermectin is effective against COVID-19… Animal ivermectin products are very different from those approved for humans. Use of animal ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in humans is dangerous.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also advised against taking ivermectin.
Also read:
Anti-vaxx or right to freedom of choice? Sea Point protest deemed illegal
Picture: Unsplash