Ivermectin To Treat COVID-19? Strain Says "NO!"

By Don Molino

Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network

There are widespread reports of people using Ivermectin—a horse dewormer—to treat the symptoms of COVID-19. Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain, a practicing veterinarian, warns don’t do it.

“The World Health Organization has issued a statement warning against the use of Ivermectin saying ‘the anti-parasitic drug is being investigated in clinical trials, but Ivermectin is incorrectly being used for treatment of COVID-19 with out any scientific evidence of safety for treatment of the disease.’

“There are scientific studies that look at the use of Ivermectin in a variety of viruses in the lab against COVID-19, against HIV, against different types of hepatitis and at very high doses it does have an affect. But it has not been proven to see any effects in clinical treatments of humans.

“Ivermectin is a neuro-paralytic agent and will cross the blood brain barrier in high doses. Some individuals, genetically, do not have the protein that will stop it from crossing the blood brain barrier. Without that protein, it is immediately toxic, and there is no antidote. It can also cause paralysis and I have seen it cause death in animals.

“The New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet have both retracted profile papers about treating COVID-19 with Ivermectin.”