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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[–] Cadende@hexbear.net 30 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's wild that this grift is still going. I almost went down that rabbithole at the beginning of the pandemic when the quacks pushing it got on some left-wing shows (even michael brooks... RIP) and there was limited evidence to go on, but then the evidence completely failed to appear, and everyone pushing it insisted it was a miracle drug for everything from cancer to covid and I felt foolish for ever giving it the benefit of the doubt

[–] Red_Eclipse@hexbear.net 18 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Yeah I feel like there was a brief moment of serious consideration for it? But it was very, very brief lol

[–] Cadende@hexbear.net 16 points 2 days ago

yeahhhh. I wish I had a copy of that michael brooks show video now (at some point the next year or so they privated it, and now it appears to be fully deleted) because the quacks are very good at tailoring their message to the audience, it's not just an ignorant right-winger phenomenon

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

Yeah there were a handful of studies suggesting a quicker recovery time, but it failed to be replicated at a large scale. I read an analysis of all of those studies that found a correlation, and the common element in the ones that were legit is that they weren’t in WEIRD countries. They were all in “underdeveloped” countries where parasitic infections are endemic. So the argument the analysis made was, the ivermectin was treating underlying, undiagnosed parasitic infections which freed up those people’s immune systems to fight just COVID. Which makes sense as these studies were only finding a couple day quicker on average recovery with the ivermectin.

And to be fair, I get why health professionals in those countries were optimistic on ivermectin. They did not have the same sort of resources to treat COVID like the “developed” world and were staring down the barrel of a gun. It’s understandable that they had hopium that a cheap medication they already had a plentiful supply of would treat COVID.

[–] Rey_McSriff@hexbear.net 18 points 2 days ago

Pairing ivermectin with the horse pedialyte to stay worm free and super hydrated

[–] Doubledee@hexbear.net 20 points 2 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 2 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 2 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 2 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 2 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 2 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 6 points 2 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 2 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?

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)

TIL nonverbal autism is caused by parasitic infections.

[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 23 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The kid became verbal for exactly as long as it took to say "mom what is this stupid bullshit"

[–] FedPosterman5000@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago

They cracked the code- your autistic child isn’t non-verbal they’re just getting a head start at going no-communication with you down the road lol

[–] FlakesBongler@hexbear.net 19 points 2 days ago

2020 YESTERDAY!

2020 TODAY!

2020 FOREVER!

[–] DickFuckarelli@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago

Brawndo has what plants crave.

[–] REEEEvolution@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 days ago

Pissing the cancer out of your ass.