Doctors Report That Taking Ivermectin For COVID-19 is Not Recommended

If you have seen anything on the internet about taking ivermectin to help with COVID-19, do not try it.

According to CBS 7, doctors are warning of reports on the internet that taking cattle ivermectin will help with a COVID-19 diagnosis after many have been calling poison control centers across the country.

“You should never use animal products for human consumption,” said Dr. Charles Lerner, a member of the Texas Medical Association COVID-19 Task Force.

Livestock medications are not formulated for humans and can cause deadly effects if consumed by humans.

“When you get an overdose of ivermectin, you have a few minor complications like coma and death, among other things,” said Dr. Lerner.

That being said, businesses like Tractor Supply have had to post signs around their livestock medications stating that buying it for personal use "could cause personal injury, or death."

Ivermectin is used in humans for treating scabies and parasites but the dosage is different for humans than it is for livestock, thus requiring two different medications.

“You can’t just move the dose from one species to another,’ said Dr. Lerner. “You don’t know what’s in it. The dose is different. The toxicity tolerance is much higher for animals than it is for humans.”

The reason for the use of animal ivermectin to treat COVID, stems from the early days of the pandemic when doctors were trying to figure out how to combat the new virus that was killing people at an alarming rate.

So what is the best way to deal with the virus? Dr. Lerner has the answer:

“Number one: get a vaccine,” said Dr. Lerner. “That’s number one, two, three, four, and five on my list.”