Why the Right Still Embraces Ivermectin

Five years after the pandemic began, interest in the anti-parasitic drug is rising again as right-wing influencers promote it — and spread misinformation about it.

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[–] Doubledee@hexbear.net 20 points 3 days ago (2 children)

... is it really yummy? Is that the problem? Americans just wanna eat a yummy apple treat?

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 22 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Apple flavored!

“Yum,” Mr. Grinsteiner said in the Feb. 25 video, one of a number of ivermectin-related posts he has made that have drawn millions of views on Facebook this year. “Actually, that tastes like dead cancer.”

[–] DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Oh. This is horse medicine. I didn't know what this was.

This is actually a lot sadder than I realised it was.

[–] Owl@hexbear.net 17 points 3 days ago (2 children)

It's best known as horse dewormer, but it's actually a widely effective anti-parasitic that works on dogs, cats, and probably humans (but clinical tests are lacking).

Covid is not caused by a parasite and parasitic illnesses are extremely rare in humans in the US.

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 10 points 3 days ago

It’s been approved for human use since the 80’s and is widely touted by the CDC and WHO for combating parasitic infections in humans. Although, yes it’s much more commonly used outside of the “industrialized” countries where parasitic infections are more common.

[–] DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Even so, taking a dewormer that is meant for a horse's digestive system would probably not be very good for a person at all. So at best this is completely pointless, and at worst it could cause permanent damage or death.

And a lot of these fuckers encourage people to not take it themselves, but give it to their kids.

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Mind you, some people get unscrupulous doctors to prescribe them the human dosage for it. In that case, it’s not going to do anything for them but it’s also not going to do any harm. There were a lot of cases of people getting seriously sick from taking too much of the horse paste version during the COVID pandemic.

[–] Taster_Of_Treats@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

There are side effects to the human version of the drug, like any drug, that can be harmful. It's definitely worth it in the case of getting rid of a parasite. Not so much for no fucking reason.

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago

True, but the side effects aren’t on the same level of what can happen with misdosing the horse paste.

[–] Owl@hexbear.net 16 points 3 days ago

What if USican diets are so starved for fruit that they're craving a flavor they only know how to get from the horse paste?