Ohio lawmaker introduces bill for medical providers to prescribe animal drug ivermectin to COVID-19 patients if requested, a drug used to treat horses and cows for heart worms or other parasites that can cause side effects and even death in humans when taken in high doses, a Cleveland Clinic COVID-19 physician says, and research suggests...Clinical trials on ivermectin have been inconclusive....By investigative reporter and editor Kathy Wray Coleman Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

Clevelandurbannews.com and-Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief. Coleman is an investigative reporter, and a former high school biology teacher with a degree in science

COLUMBUS, Ohio- A bill has been introduced in Ohio's state legislature that would require physicians and hospitals to administered animal ivermectin to treat COVID-19 in patients upon request, even though researchers and medical doctors from the Cleveland Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised against this type of use of the prescription animal drug.

The bill that would mandate the application of ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and other “alternative” COVID-19 treatment drugs if requested by a patient was introduced Thursday at the Statehouse.

Introduced by Rep. Kris Jordan (R-Ostrander) House Bill 631, the bill would authorize the use of ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and other drugs not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19 patients upon the patient's request, if the applicable medical provider prescribes the controversial drug. 

Traditionally used to treat heart-worms and other parasites in horses and cows, ivermectin has also been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by humans to treat parasitic roundworm infections like ascariasis, head lice and rosacea. And as desperation mounts around COVID-19 and more potent strains of the coronavirus such as the delta variant emerge some people are turning to animal ivermectin to treat symptoms of COVID-19.

A major problem, however, is that the use of the drug in high doses can cause side effects, data show, and in some cases death in humans, and in animals. 

“The oral formulation doses are much lower than the topical formulation doses,” said Cleveland Clinic critical care physician Abhijit Duggal, MD relative to a report published by the clinic as to the dangers of using ivermectin to combat COVID-19 “There is some unproven chatter on the Internet and people are suggesting that higher doses of ivermectin should be used so people are getting the topical formulation and then using that as well.”  

Though ivermectin is being promoted on social media and elsewhere as a “miracle drug,” there isn’t much data to support its effectiveness against COVID-19, Dr. Duggal says. Also, clinical trials on the controversial drug and its impact on COVID-19 have been inconclusive. 

While a trial in Egypt boasted a 90% reduction in COVID deaths when ivermectin was given to participants and this was considerably higher than FDA-approved treatments, it was later determined that the results came from a preprint and that the findings were a bit problematic. This was coupled with the fact that the study wasn’t formally published in a medical journal either. Another thing that stood out in that trial was that one group of participants received ivermectin while the control group was given hydroxychloroquine instead of a placebo.   

"These studies have not reported seeing any signals that indicate effectiveness, " said Dr. Duggal of studies out of Egypt and in general regarding the use of the drug to treat COVID-19 "The study out of Egypt had such an inflated outcome in terms of improved survival, that this drove a lot of the discussion around the use of  ivermectin now."

Meanwhile, the FDA is undertaking trials and studies on its own and has issued a consumer warning about the effects of animal ivermectin on humans, particularly in high doses. According to the FDA ivermectin overdose side effects include the following:  

• Diarrhea.  
• Itching.  
• Hives.  
• Balance problems.  
• Seizures.  
• Low blood pressure.  
• Coma.  
• Vomiting  

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor. A former high school biology teacher, Coleman is a seasoned Black Cleveland journalist who trained at the Call and Post Newspaper for 17 years and an experienced investigative and political reporter. She is the most read independent journalist in Ohio per Alexa.com

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.