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The Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange showroom would span 12,000 square feet – with additional warehouses, a greenhouse, and an outdoor nursery – and would carry at least 22,000 items for anyone’s farm, home or garden. . And the equine section of the store is full of supplies. But you won’t find Ivermectin on the shelves anymore.
This is because he is now in a cabinet behind the front counter. It appears that western Massachusetts is not immune to the national phenomenon of taking the horse dewormer drug in an effort to prevent or treat COVID-19. Co-op director Jeff Budine said several people had visited the store in recent weeks to purchase ivermectin since unfounded rumors began circulating online.
“We know our customers quite well. But last week, personally, I waited for three different people (asking about ivermectin), ”he said. “You can sometimes tell a rider from a non-horse.”
Budine said staff members would not sell ivermectin for human use.
“If you read the label, it… says, ‘For horses only,’” he said.
The National Poison Data System reports that 459 cases of ivermectin overdose were reported in the United States in August, according to the BBC.
And the Mississippi Poison Control Center has reportedly received a spike in calls regarding potential ivermectin exposure, with at least 70% of recent calls “related to the ingestion of livestock or animal formulations of ivermectin purchased from centers for ivermectin. ‘livestock supply’. Eighty-five percent of the callers had mild symptoms, although one person was asked for a more in-depth assessment because of the amount of ivermectin allegedly ingested.
Misconceptions about the drug’s effectiveness against the novel coronavirus have been spread mainly by right-wing experts and online trolls.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not licensed or approved ivermectin for use in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in humans or animals.
In 2015, scientists William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their decades-old discovery and application of ivermectin to treat parasitic infections. But COVID-19 is spread by a virus – not parasites – and the FDA warns that overdoses of ivermectin can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, allergic reactions, dizziness, pain problems. balance, convulsions, coma and even death.
Dr Armando Paez, an infectious disease specialist at Baystate Health, explained that ivermectin is an effective antiparasitic agent being researched as a possible drug “that can essentially neutralize” the COVID-19 virus. He said ivermectin has been used to treat the virus in many countries that lack the resources the United States has. At least two articles based on hospital records of COVID-19 patients have been withdrawn because the company that allegedly analyzed the raw data will not allow their validity to be independently validated.
The side effects of ivermectin can exacerbate those of other drugs, Paez said, noting that the drug should only be taken in a clinical trial. He said large doses can be dangerous and small doses are likely ineffective against COVID-19. Paez also mentioned that overdoses can add to the strain hospitals are already under due to a fourth wave of coronavirus infections.
Ashlee Girard, an Amherst Farmers Supply employee, said the store hasn’t sold more ivermectin than usual, although a horse owner jokingly mentioned that she would take it for herself .
“We only sell it to customers we know,” she said. “We know who we’re selling to. We have a pretty close-knit group around here.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a recent study examining trends in ivermectin distribution to outpatient retail pharmacies in the United States during the pandemic showed a 2,344% increase for the period between early July and mid-August. against a year ago.
The Tractor Supply Co. store in Greenfield posted “Ivermectin Product Advisories” in its equine section, warning that the drug is an active ingredient in some of the products carried and has not been approved by the FDA for use. treat COVID-19 in humans.
“These products are only suitable for animals and are clearly labeled as such,” says the notice.
Contact Domenic Poli at: [email protected].
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