Ivermectin and the falsehoods
Circulating globally and thriving on social media is the FDA approved antiparasitic drug Ivermectin, this post goes into explaining what Ivermectin is, its uses and the fictitious evidence being spread everywhere online.
➡️ What’s Ivermectin?
Ivermectin is a medication that treats some parasitic diseases.
There are two types of medication. Doctors prescribe one kind for certain health conditions in people, and veterinarians prescribe another that’s safe only for animals.
(Source: https://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/what-is-ivermectin)
➡️ Elgazzar study
This pre-print paper was one of the most cited sources for the supposed prevention of death with Ivermectin. The paper isn’t even peer-reviewed. The latest version of the study has been retracted after Jack Lawrence, a medical student in London, along with multiple other experts, pointed at the evidence of plagiarism and other inconsistencies. As a result of the Elgazzar retraction, one of the other large meta-analyses that supported ivermectin has also been retracted by the authors, who are planning to re-analyse without that study and re-publish. (Source: https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/8/8/ofab394/6346765)
➡️ Meta-analysis studies
All of the major meta-analysis studies use the Elgazzar study which has been retracted for ethical reasons. (Source of Elgazzar study: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-100956/v2.Preprint)
Dr Tess Lawrie’s meta-analysis study also used this same flawed pre-print, used pre-print studies as “reliable data” despite not being peer-reviewed, used studies where the authors admitted that assessing the risk of bias was challenging amongst other flaws. (Source: https://journals.lww.com/americantherapeutics/fulltext/2021/08000/ivermectin_for_prevention_and_treatment_of.7.aspx)
➡️ Golden standard of meta-analysis review
Cochrane considered the golden standard for meta-analysis reviews concluded there’s no robust evidence it helps. (Source: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015017.pub2/full?highlightAbstract=ivermectin)
➡️ Meta-analysis by Roman et al.
A meta-analysis study by Roman et al. which didn’t include the Elgazzar paper concluded Ivermectin did not have an effect on Adverse Events or Serious Adverse Events and is not a viable option to treat patients with COVID-19.
Corrected proof of this same study added this: “IVM did not reduce all-cause mortality, LOS, or viral clearance in RCTs in patients with mostly mild COVID-19”. (Source: https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab591/6310839?searchresult=1)
➡️ Hypocrisy from the FLCCC
If you don’t know or never heard about the FLCCC they’ve been major benefactors in pushing off-label use of Ivermectin for active treatment, putting lives at risk.
Virginia Zarifi Similarly, Dr Varon, also part of FLCCC, is telling everyone to get vaccinated. (Source of Dr Varon getting a vaccine: https://www.chron.com/coronavirus/amp/houston-moderna-covid-vaccine-15822399.php)
Dr. Pierre Kory, founder of FLCCC and top grifter for treatment and prophylactic plan using Ivermectin, found it did NOT work for him as he contracted COVID-19.
➡️ Ivermectin hospitalisations
Hospitalisations have resulted after dangerous guidance to take the antiparasitic drug. Two patients were hospitalized with IVM toxicity. (Source: https://www.wtva.com/content/coronavirus-content/At-least-two-hospitalized-with-potential-ivermectin-toxicity-the-MSDH-updates-575156741.html)
One person was hospitalised after taking livestock ivermectin from the feed store. (Source: https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/aug/20/person-hospitalized-after-taking-livestock-ivermec/)
➡️ New information
An article from the HindustanTimes the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Covid-19 National Task Force have dropped Ivermectin and HCQ from their revised “clinical guidelines for the management of adult Covid-19 patients” as both organisations came to the same conclusion that Ivermectin and HCQ did not lower patient viral load, or duration of symptoms within Covid-19 patients, even when trying both drugs at higher doses. (Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/icmr-removes-ivermectin-hcq-from-revised-guidelines-on-covid-19-treatment-101632461755113.html)
➡️ Conclusion
Ivermectin shouldn’t be used to treat Covid-19 or used as a prophylactic, no information supports either thesis at this time. Other sources of evidence supports not using Ivermectin: https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-100956/v3#comments
https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/faq-covid-19-and-ivermectin-intended-animals
https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/antiviral-therapy/ivermectin/
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT04668469?recrs=eghi&cond=ivermectin&age=12&draw=3&rank=17
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jul/16/huge-study-supporting-ivermectin-as-covid-treatment-withdrawn-over-ethical-concerns
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZFKX_lPK7neEq0e0Sxe8iG5jkqrU7L1l/view
https://steamtraen.blogspot.com/2021/07/Some-problems-with-the-data-from-a-Covid-study.html
http://nickbrown.fr/blog/elgazzar
https://grftr.news/why-was-a-major-study-on-ivermectin-for-covid-19-just-retracted/
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015017.pub2/full
https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab591/6310839
https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/tables/table-2c/
Thanks for reading, Lawrence. Please consider a small contribution, in the form of a beer as all articles are created in my small amount of spare time: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LawrenceRob