Every day seems to bring an avalanche of changes, headlines, sound bites, and updates regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Somewhere in all the noise is news about an antiparasitic drug called ivermectin and how it’s being looked at to prevent SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. You may already have heard of ivermectin, as it’s used to prevent heartworm disease in small pets. Here are three reasons why you should not take your pet’s ivermectin to protect yourself against COVID-19.
#1: People should never take medicine intended for animals. This can cause serious harm to humans. As veterinary medications are intended for specific animal species, their safety and efficacy have only been evaluated for the animals indicated—not for humans.
#2: Ivermectin is not approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Much more study and testing are required to determine the potential safety and efficacy of ivermectin for preventing and treating COVID-19. Additionally, no one should ever take an unprescribed medication. If you have any questions about your personal health, you should consult your health care provider.
#3: There are a number of side effects that are associated with ivermectin. These include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, facial or limb swelling, neurologic adverse events (confusion, dizziness, seizures), a sudden drop in blood pressure, a severe skin rash potentially requiring hospitalization, and liver injury (hepatitis).
You can read more here about why you should not take ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19.
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