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People are using ivermectin, a paste used to disinfect horses, in a failed attempt to treat COVID-19.
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While it may be safe for humans in some ways, people are using equestrian doses, reported ABC.
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Ivermectin can be toxic to people and cause seizures, difficulty breathing and heart problems.
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People are trying to treat and prevent COVID-19 by taking ivermectin, a medicine commonly used to disinfect horses – and are poisoning themselves in the process.
ABC News reported an increase in calls to drug-related poison control centers. The Missouri Poison Center alone saw an increase of 40 to 50 calls in the regular amount of messages they would receive the day before the pandemic.
Experts are asking people to avoid the temptation to fake “cures”, which can cause health problems as serious or worse than a COVID-19 infection.
Instead of waiting to get the drug through the proper channels, people are getting equestrian prescriptions from their vets and using horse-sized doses on themselves, Julie Weber, president of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, told the ABC News.
“We just had the case of someone using a veterinary source of ivermectin, a medicine for horses, which contains a significantly higher dose of the drug,” Weber told ABC News.
Ivermectin is not a cure, treatment or preventive medicine for COVID-19, but it is one of the many unproven and unsafe hacks promoted on the Internet.
Other dangerous hacks promoted online include drinking bleach until you poison yourself with cleaning products and taking the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine – a drug promoted by former President Donald Trump, despite warnings that it is ineffective and can be harmful.
Ivermectin can be tolerated in small doses, but it can poison an adult in large quantities
Ivermectin is commonly used as an antiparasitic cream in dogs, cats and horses. It can eliminate lice, scabies and worms in mammals.
Although smaller doses of the drug can be tolerated by humans, with few side effects besides nausea, rashes and increased heart rate, taking a dose of ivermectin for an animal the size of a compact car can poison you.
According to the Missouri Poison Center, severe ivermectin overdoses can result in seizures, coma, lung and heart problems.
The Missouri Poison Center recommends that people avoid taking their pets’ medication and instead wait to receive one of the COVID-19 vaccines or seek medical attention if they believe they have been infected with the coronavirus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people who accidentally poisoned themselves with cleaning products trying to disinfect their homes has increased by 20% since the start of the pandemic.
If you believe that you or a loved one has taken a large dose of ivermectin, call your local poison center or call 911.
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