US Judge orders hospital to treat COVID-19 patient with ‘not yet proven effective’ ivermectin drug
Story highlights
Although ivermectin has not yet proven effective against the coronavirus, a judge in Ohio has ordered a hospital to treat a COVID-19 patient with the anti-parasitic drug. It can also be dangerous in large doses
Although ivermectin has not yet proven effective against the coronavirus, a judge in Ohio has ordered a hospital to treat a COVID-19 patient with the anti-parasitic drug.
The experts have given warnings that the ivermectin is yet to be proven effective against the deadly virus. It can also be dangerous in large doses.
Watch: Japan's COVID vaccine drive suffers blow
In a judgement, Butler County judge Gregory Howard ordered doctors at West Chester hospital to administer ivermectin to 51-year-old Jeffrey Smith. Smith had contracted COVID-19 in July and was transferred to intensive care.
Butler County falls outside Cincinnati in the United States.
In court documents, Julie Smith said, “My husband is on death’s doorstep. He has no other options.”
Outside the hospital, a doctor was willing to prescribe the drug but the hospital had refused to administer it. The judge ordered the hospital to give 30mg of the medicine to Smith for three weeks.
The Ivermectin drug is generally used against parasites in livestock animals, which includes horses and cows. In humans, it is also used against some parasitic worms and external parasites like head lice.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has also warned that “taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm”.
