Louisiana Officials – Horse Medicine Not Proven to Treat COVID

The coronavirus pandemic has proven to be a catalyst for some incredible discoveries in science and medicine. It has also shown that if given the chance some people will believe just about anything.

While the "information superhighway" has provided us with a great deal of useful information over the past year as we have dealt with the coronavirus pandemic. It has also been an incredible source of rumors, conjecture, and just outright misinformation as well.

There has been no greater source of misinformation during the pandemic than the kind of stories that have been written about medications that could be used to treat the virus and its symptoms. You might remember a drug called hydroxychloroquine and a certain politician who swore during the early months of the pandemic that it was going to be our nation's saving grace.

You don't hear much about the medication now.

But what you do hear about is people using the Internet to find other "treatments" for the coronavirus than those actually approved by vetted medical professionals. One such medicine that has generated a lot of "interest" online is the antiparasitic drug Ivermectin.

Dr. Mark Ryan, Director of the Louisiana Poison Control Center was asked about the medication. His response was chronicled in a story published by the Louisiana Radio Network. Dr. Ryan did say the medication has been used to treat some conditions in humans but that's not where it's primarily used in today's modern medicine.

If you're in the farming or ranching business you know that medication is most often prescribed for horses or other animals. However, some people, who believe they know better than vetted medical science have published stories online suggesting that Ivermectin is a "cure" for coronavirus.

It is true Ivermectin has been used to treat medical maladies in humans. But that was many years ago and the symptoms and diseases Ivermectin supposedly cured can now be cured better, faster, and more safely using other medications. One thing medical scientists are pretty sure about, concerning this medicine, is that it doesn't cure or prevent coronavirus in humans.

There have actually been studies done about Ivermectin and its ability to treat coronavirus patients but none of those studies seem to shed any credence to claims that it would work any better against the disease than a sugar pill. Still, there are some who insist that the medication is a good choice in dealing with the virus. Apparently, none of those people are doctors.

So despite what you may have heard or read online about Ivermectin it's probably not a good choice to self-prescribe and self-medicate. Then again, it's never a good idea to do that. If you want to ask your healthcare provider about Ivermectin you certainly can. In fact, you should ask your healthcare provider questions about every medicine they prescribe for you.