Rand Paul, a senator from Kentucky, said that he was in the middle of whether ivermectin should go into use. However, he said that researchers didn't want to study it because of their hatred for Trump. Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images
Rand Paul, a Kentucky senator, said that researchers will not study ivermectin due to their "hatred for Trump."
Paul stated that he was in the middle of whether ivermectin should still be used, and that he wanted to do more research.
Despite the FDA and CDC warning people not to use the drug to deworm cows and horses, this is still true
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Rand Paul, a Kentucky senator, claimed that researchers will not study the toxic deworming drug ivermectin in a potential COVID treatment due to their hatred for President Donald Trump.
The remarks made by Paul at a Cold Spring City Council event for 60 people on August 27 were first reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Paul stated that Trump's hatred has deranged people and made them unwilling to study it objectively, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "So someone like myself that's in between it, I cannot tell you because they won't study ivermectin. They won't study hydroxychloroquine if they don't hate Donald Trump.
Paul stated to the Cincinnati Enquirer he doesn't know if ivermectin is effective, but that he would "keep an open head."
Trump hasn't pushed ivermectin, but has advocated for hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID. However, both drugs have not been proven to be effective in curing or preventing COVID-19 infections. US health authorities have advised against their use.
The US Food and Drug Administration advised people last week not to self-medicate using ivermectin, as it is only for horses and other livestock.
In a statement, the FDA noted that it had received reports of people being admitted to hospital after taking the drug. The FDA acknowledged that preliminary research is underway to determine the efficacy of the drug, but noted that the animal formula was very different from the one humans should use.
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Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued a health advisory, warning that self-medicating using ivermectin can make people very sick. An overdose could cause seizures, coma, and even death. Even mild side effects such as nausea, vomiting and dizziness can result from taking too much of ivermectin.
People continue to use ivermectin. According to the CDC, pharmacies filled over 88,000 Ivermectin prescriptions between July and August 2013.
Clinical studies also showed that hydroxychloroquine (an anti-malarial drug) does not prevent or treat COVID-19. After determining that hydroxychloroquine could cause heart and blood disorders, kidney injury, liver damage, and even liver failure, the FDA advised against using it.
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