Planning to take ivermectin as a COVID-19 medication? The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is on an increasing list of health agencies that says you shouldn’t.
KDHE says the drug is not approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to treat or prevent coronavirus, although it has been approved to treat skin conditions like rosacea, head lice and some parasitic worms. If prescribed for those conditions, KDHE says residents should use ivermectin exactly as indicated by the doctor.
On KVOE’s Talk of Emporia on Wednesday, Newman Regional Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alana (uh-LAH-nuh) Longwell said ivermectin is good in theory, not necessarily in practice in many cases.
So far, there have been no ivermectin treatment cases at the hospital’s emergency room.
Ivermectin is used in livestock to treat against parasites and Health Secretary Lee Norman says residents should avoid medications intended for livestock because they can be highly toxic for humans. Overdose symptoms can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea but can also include decreased consciousness, hypotension, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, coma and death.
Norman reminds residents the best prevention against COVID-19 is a vaccine combined with proper hygiene, use of masks or facial coverings and social distancing.
