a322x1n
2021-09-27 04:04:57 UTC
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-mexico-health-officials-link-misus
e-of-ivermectin-to-two-covid-19-deaths/ar-AAOQ6q0?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531>
<https://tinyurl.com/yzfh8yb9>
New Mexico health officials link misuse of ivermectin to two Covid-19
deaths. Alyssa Lukpat, 13 hrs ago.
A wave of misinformation touting the deworming drug ivermectin as a
Covid treatment appears to be showing no signs of abating, with calls
about the drug to poison control centers surging, and officials in New
Mexico saying misuse of the medication contributed to at least two
deaths.
Federal health authorities have repeatedly warned Covid patients not to
take the drug, which is an anti-parasite medication most commonly used
in the United States on livestock and, in smaller doses, to treat head
lice in people. But those warnings have done little to curb the drugs
popularity in parts of the United States.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 1,440 cases
of ivermectin poisoning this year through Sept. 20, which is more than
triple the number during the same period in 2019 and 2020. A majority of
this years reports came over the summer as people sought prescriptions
after false claims about the drugs effectiveness in Covid patients
started to circulate on social media, podcasts and talk radio. Joe
Rogan, the podcasting giant, and Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist,
have both promoted the drug.
Sign up for The Morning newsletter from The New York Times.
States across the country are reporting a staggering number of calls
about the drug to poison control centers. The health authorities in
Mississippi reported last month that 70 percent of recent calls were
about ivermectin. In Oregon, 25 people reported ivermectin poisoning
between Aug. 1 and Sept. 14, Oregon Health & Science University
reported. Five of those people were hospitalized, including two who were
admitted to an intensive care unit.
New Mexico poison control centers have also seen a sharp increase in
calls about the drug 24 cases since November of 2020, compared to two
between January and November of 2019, state health authorities said.
Fourteen of this years cases were hospitalized after taking the drug,
and two of them died, the state reported on Wednesday.
The two who died at 38 and 79 years old had Covid-19 and had taken
ivermectin instead of proven treatments like monoclonal antibodies, said
Dr. David R. Scrase, the acting head of the state health department. He
said the drug had contributed to both deaths, causing kidney failure in
one of the patients.
Dr. Scrase said in an interview on Saturday that using ivermectin to
treat Covid was like taking an antacid for a heart attack. Its the
wrong medicine for something really serious, he said.
Dr. Susan Smolinske, the director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug
Information Center, said that about half of the reported cases of
ivermectin poisoning this year were people who took the drug to prevent
Covid.
While certain versions of ivermectin are prescribed to treat head lice
and other parasites in people, other formulations which come in forms
such as liquid and paste are commonly used in the equine and livestock
industries to combat worms and parasites.
In past years, Dr. Smolinske said, many of the incidents in New Mexico
involved children mistakenly taking chewable tablets intended for dogs,
but recently the poison centers had seen more instances of people taking
concentrated forms of the drug intended for large animals.
Most of our cases are of the horse or dewormer or pour-on product, so
theyre highly concentrated compared to those tablets for dogs, said
Dr. Susan Smolinske, the director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug
Information Center.
Dr. Smolinske said misuse of the drug can cause drowsiness, dizziness,
tremors or even a coma. It gets into the brain, and if you take a high
enough dose, it has difficulty getting out of the brain, she said.
e-of-ivermectin-to-two-covid-19-deaths/ar-AAOQ6q0?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531>
<https://tinyurl.com/yzfh8yb9>
New Mexico health officials link misuse of ivermectin to two Covid-19
deaths. Alyssa Lukpat, 13 hrs ago.
A wave of misinformation touting the deworming drug ivermectin as a
Covid treatment appears to be showing no signs of abating, with calls
about the drug to poison control centers surging, and officials in New
Mexico saying misuse of the medication contributed to at least two
deaths.
Federal health authorities have repeatedly warned Covid patients not to
take the drug, which is an anti-parasite medication most commonly used
in the United States on livestock and, in smaller doses, to treat head
lice in people. But those warnings have done little to curb the drugs
popularity in parts of the United States.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 1,440 cases
of ivermectin poisoning this year through Sept. 20, which is more than
triple the number during the same period in 2019 and 2020. A majority of
this years reports came over the summer as people sought prescriptions
after false claims about the drugs effectiveness in Covid patients
started to circulate on social media, podcasts and talk radio. Joe
Rogan, the podcasting giant, and Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist,
have both promoted the drug.
Sign up for The Morning newsletter from The New York Times.
States across the country are reporting a staggering number of calls
about the drug to poison control centers. The health authorities in
Mississippi reported last month that 70 percent of recent calls were
about ivermectin. In Oregon, 25 people reported ivermectin poisoning
between Aug. 1 and Sept. 14, Oregon Health & Science University
reported. Five of those people were hospitalized, including two who were
admitted to an intensive care unit.
New Mexico poison control centers have also seen a sharp increase in
calls about the drug 24 cases since November of 2020, compared to two
between January and November of 2019, state health authorities said.
Fourteen of this years cases were hospitalized after taking the drug,
and two of them died, the state reported on Wednesday.
The two who died at 38 and 79 years old had Covid-19 and had taken
ivermectin instead of proven treatments like monoclonal antibodies, said
Dr. David R. Scrase, the acting head of the state health department. He
said the drug had contributed to both deaths, causing kidney failure in
one of the patients.
Dr. Scrase said in an interview on Saturday that using ivermectin to
treat Covid was like taking an antacid for a heart attack. Its the
wrong medicine for something really serious, he said.
Dr. Susan Smolinske, the director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug
Information Center, said that about half of the reported cases of
ivermectin poisoning this year were people who took the drug to prevent
Covid.
While certain versions of ivermectin are prescribed to treat head lice
and other parasites in people, other formulations which come in forms
such as liquid and paste are commonly used in the equine and livestock
industries to combat worms and parasites.
In past years, Dr. Smolinske said, many of the incidents in New Mexico
involved children mistakenly taking chewable tablets intended for dogs,
but recently the poison centers had seen more instances of people taking
concentrated forms of the drug intended for large animals.
Most of our cases are of the horse or dewormer or pour-on product, so
theyre highly concentrated compared to those tablets for dogs, said
Dr. Susan Smolinske, the director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug
Information Center.
Dr. Smolinske said misuse of the drug can cause drowsiness, dizziness,
tremors or even a coma. It gets into the brain, and if you take a high
enough dose, it has difficulty getting out of the brain, she said.