Ivermectin is a medication that has been used for many years to treat parasitic worms in humans. After the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a heated debate as to whether the medication can treat the viral infection. Some doctors and celebrities swear by its effectiveness; critics warn of potential side effects. Iowa’s state lawmakers recently advanced a bill that seeks to allow the use of Ivermectin for treating COVID-19 patients who are diagnosed as seriously ill.
The Des Moines Register interviewed Representative Lee Hein, a Republican and co-sponsor of the bill. Hein said that the idea for the legislation came from a family member of a patient who wanted to save the sick person’s life with Ivermectin. A doctor was willing to use the medication on the patient but the hospital refused its use. The sick family member consequently died.
“I had conversations with Rep. Meyer, and this was what we thought — at least it would give the family some hope… I don’t know whether any of these drugs work,” Hein said.
Agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have warned people not to take livestock-grade Ivermectin that can be bought without a prescription. There have been reports of people who consumed the medication and ended up in a hospital. However, the FDA also has not approved Ivermectin, which is usually taken by human beings.
“The FDA 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 agency states on its website.
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The Iowa bill seeks to allow the use of Ivermectin among critical patients by expanding the state’s “right to try” law. It allows terminally ill people to use medications that have only passed the first phase of FDA trials.
New Hampshire is also looking to sanction Ivermectin as a protected treatment for COVID-19 as well as make it available over-the-counter. Republican Representative Leah Cushman is a registered nurse and the person who proposed the bill. She believes that passing the bill will “no doubt” save lives.
A recent study on Ivermectin has found that the drug works well as a prophylactic against the COVID-19 virus. In the study, residents of a Brazilian city were given Ivermectin between July and Dec. of 2020.
One hundred thousand people took part in the program. The researchers found that there was a 44 percent drop in COVID-19 cases. Only 3.7 percent of individuals who took Ivermectin contracted the virus; 6.6 percent contracted it who did not take the medication. In addition, a statistically significant decrease in mortality and hospitalization was also observed.
In an interview with The Epoch Times, Dr. Pierre Kory, president of the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), said that the study should “convince any naysayer” and that the results are “astounding.” He blamed mainstream media for not giving importance to such medical discoveries.
“You would think this would lead to major headlines everywhere. And yet, nothing. And this is not new, this censorship of this highly effective science and evidence around repurposed drugs. The censoring of it, it’s not new, it’s just getting more and more absurd. And it has to stop,” Kory said. FLCCC has been recommending Ivermectin for COVID-19 patients since early 2020.
