CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The FDA is warning people not to use Ivermectin, a livestock drug, to treat COVID-19.
So why was this ever a thing? Let's connect the dots.
Ivermectin is used to treat parasitic worms. There is a human-safe version but you have to get a prescription from a doctor. Unfortunately, that's not the route some people are taking.
The FDA has received reports of people buying the animal version of the drug at feed stores. The problem is, you are not a horse and that large of a dose can cause everything from low blood pressure to liver damage or even vision loss.
And even the right dosage of Ivermectin may not actually fight COVID-19. The FDA said the studies currently available about the drug have flawed data and some of it may have even been up.
There are some larger, legitimate studies in the works about Ivermectin and COVID-19, but the data just isn't ready yet.
Researchers say they are looking for a COVID-19 cure anywhere they can find it. But one place you definitely won't see it is at an animal feed store.
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