Ohio judge has given an emergency order to a hospital directing it to treat a coronavirus victim with ivermectin. This antiparasitic drug, which right-wing personalities are promoting widely as a covid-19 and prophylactic, was issued by an Ohio judge. Although it is being investigated for this purpose, there are no data on ivermectin as a covid-19 therapy. After several overdoses from people trying to treat themselves, the U.S. FDA has warned people not to take ivermectin meant for animals.
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According to The Enquirer of Cincinnati, court documents reveal that Gregory Howard, a judge at Butler County Common Pleas Court, ruled that Jeffrey Smith, 51, must be treated by West Chester Hospital in Cincinnati with ivermectin. Because there is no scientific evidence to support its effectiveness in treating covid-19, the hospital refused to accept the Dr. Fred Wagshul's prescription.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health all advised the public to avoid using ivermectin for self-treatment. The FDA even tweeted, "You are not a horse." You are not a cow. Seriously, yall. You all need to stop it. The FDA states that the drug is generally safe when administered at the right doses and under the supervision of a physician. However, self-medicating has been linked to overdoses.
Anti-vaxxers have been hyping the drug as a miracle cure for coronavirus, and pharmaceutical companies are attempting to hide this knowledge in order to protect their vaccine profits. Research has shown that current mRNA vaccines against the novel coronavirus have been proven to be safe and effective. The risk of side effects is outweighed by the potential for long-term, or even fatal complications from covid-19.
Politicians and right-wing pundits have supported the use of ivermectin. An extensive NBC News investigation published Aug. 26 revealed that the drug was being promoted and promoted by Americas Frontline Doctors. This group of conspiracy theorists is behind a viral PR stunt claiming that hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, is a similar miracle cure. The group's members include Dr. Stella Immanuel (a Texas physician and minister) who previously claimed that gynecological problems are caused by dream-sex with demons, and that the government is partly run by reptilian aliens. Major social media platforms removed a video from Americas Frontline Doctors' DC press conference last year. Anti-vaxxers and conservatives defended the cause of the group, claiming they were victims of liberal censorship. NBC News discovered that the group had partnered with a website called SpeakWithAnMD.com, which offers quick and easy ivermectin prescribing.
The highly contagious Delta virus of the virus has risen in the U.S. and groups dedicated to ivermectin are also popular on Facebook. It is easy to find hundreds of such groups. These groups are full of people who discuss how to get it at farmers' markets and other retailers without the need for a prescription. Some others have also endorsed ivermectin for treating non-existent ropeworms. These are bits of the intestinal lining which become brittle from ingestion of bleach and other caustic chemicals.
The Enquirer reported Washgul, a Dayton-area pulmonologist is listed as the founder of Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance. This organization promotes ivermectin both as a preventative as well as therapeutic for covid-19. Research has shown its ineffectiveness to be disinformation. Ralph Lorigo is the New Yorks Erie County Conservative Party chairman and has filed similar lawsuits in Illinois and New York.
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The Enquirer reported that Smith's spouse Judy Smith filed a lawsuit against the hospital in August to get the prescription. He had tested positive for the virus on July 9, and was admitted to the intensive care unit on July 15. Initial treatment included remdesivir, the FDA's only approved antiviral drug, as well as steroids and plasma. His health started to decline on July 27th, according to the newspaper. By August 1, hospital staff had placed him in a sedative and placed him on a ventilator. According to court records, he was in an intubated state on August 20. He was still fighting a secondary infection that had developed during treatment.
Judy Smith stated in the lawsuit that her husband is at death's doorstep and that he has no options. Doctors had also estimated that his survival chances were below 30%. Although it doesn't say whether he was vaccinated against the virus, the Enquirer reports that 500 of 21,000 Ohioans who were hospitalized for the disease since 2021 have been vaccinated.
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Howard's ruling will require Smith to receive 30 mg of ivermectin daily from the hospital for three weeks. When the Enquirer requested an update on Smith's condition, both UC Health and Washguls offices cited federal laws regarding the privacy of medical records.
Washgul, for his part, told the Enquirer that the data supporting ivermectin was irrefutable. He also accused FDA and CDC of a conspiracy against the drug's use and said that U.S. government warnings regarding ivermectin were equivalent to genocide.
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Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine doctor Dr. Leanne Christopherman-Khawam said that Washguls was made up of snake oil salesmen.
This is not the first recent ruling regarding coronavirus protocols. A federal appeals court affirmed Indiana University's requirement that all students and staff receive coronavirus vaccinations in August. It found that Indiana University acted reasonably in its pursuit of safety and public health for campus communities.
