What is ivermectin, and how did people get the idea it can treat covid?
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The idyllic photo of a chestnut horse appeared on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Instagram feed in August, along with a blunt caption: “You are not a horse. Stop it with the #Ivermectin. It’s not authorized for treating #COVID.”
The post was one of several stark warnings issued about ivermectin — an anti-parasitic medication being promoted by prominent conservative media figures and politicians, as well as some physicians, as an effective treatment for covid-19, despite the lack of scientific evidence showing there are benefits of taking the drug for that purpose.
Interest in ivermectin has surged during this summer’s rapid rise in coronavirus infections fueled by the highly transmissible delta variant. Prescriptions have soared, and some people have resorted to taking forms of the anti-parasitic intended for large animals, leading to spikes in calls to poison control centers around the country.
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