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This is a controversial issue surrounding the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin, a prescription drug, as an COVID-19 treatment. Edit: the issue surrounds effic

This is a controversial issue surrounding the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin, a prescription drug, as an COVID-19 treatment. Edit: the issue surrounds efficacy too.

OrvalWintermute 5y ago
This is not an issue around the safety of Ivermectin, as it is an incredibly well-known drug that is now off patent. This is a discussion around efficacy. It is similar to the MD asks around using a Zpak for Covid.
- pininja 5y ago
  I agree with highlighting efficacy as a main discussion topic as well. However, I disagree the controversy doesn’t include arguments around drug safety. As long as the FDA has guidance up like this [1] it’s going to be a part of the discussion. [1] https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19 https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-shoul...
  - jbritton 5y ago
    From the link above: “The FDA has not reviewed data to support use of ivermectin in COVID-19 patients to treat or to prevent COVID-19; however, some initial research is underway.” This is a serious failure of the FDA. ivmmeta.com is a meta-analysis of all ivermectin studies (58 studies as of now). This meta-analysis shows ivermectin to be very effective, and the FDA isn’t even looking. This has been the situation for 9 months now.
    - manwe150 5y ago
      They seem to be the same site as https://hcqmeta.com/ https://hcqmeta.com/, and while their data collection and aggregation looks excellent, their use of meta-statistics seemed mathematically questionable to me in the past, potentially leading to confusing messaging: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26949919 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26949919. Also perhaps worth highlighting the note at the top of their pages saying they believe vaccination is better: "While many treatments have some level of efficacy, they do not replace vaccines and other measures to avoid infection." This seems mathematically defensible to me, since a vaccine that is 95% effective is a 33% risk reduction over a treatment that is 80% effective, per some of the estimated averages on that page (since going from 5% remaining risk to 15% risk is 3 times more cases).
- ufo 5y ago
  Here in Brazil there have been numerous reports of people getting sick from ivermectin overdose, including people needing liver transplants. When ivermectin is used for it's original purpose, the treatment is usually a one-time dose. However for covid people have been taking higher doses and for a prolonged period of time, in the misguided belief that it protects against covid. https://oglobo.globo.com/sociedade/ao-menos-quatro-pacientes-que-tomaram-kit-covid-aguardam-transplante-de-figado-em-hospitais-de-sp-1-24938473 https://oglobo.globo.com/sociedade/ao-menos-quatro-pacientes...

This is a controversial issue surrounding the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin, a prescription drug, as an COVID-19 treatment. Edit: the issue surrounds efficacy too.

OrvalWintermute 5y ago

This is not an issue around the safety of Ivermectin, as it is an incredibly well-known drug that is now off patent. This is a discussion around efficacy. It is similar to the MD asks around using a Zpak for Covid.

pininja 5y ago
I agree with highlighting efficacy as a main discussion topic as well. However, I disagree the controversy doesn’t include arguments around drug safety. As long as the FDA has guidance up like this [1] it’s going to be a part of the discussion. [1] https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19 https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-shoul...
- jbritton 5y ago
  From the link above: “The FDA has not reviewed data to support use of ivermectin in COVID-19 patients to treat or to prevent COVID-19; however, some initial research is underway.” This is a serious failure of the FDA. ivmmeta.com is a meta-analysis of all ivermectin studies (58 studies as of now). This meta-analysis shows ivermectin to be very effective, and the FDA isn’t even looking. This has been the situation for 9 months now.
  - manwe150 5y ago
    They seem to be the same site as https://hcqmeta.com/ https://hcqmeta.com/, and while their data collection and aggregation looks excellent, their use of meta-statistics seemed mathematically questionable to me in the past, potentially leading to confusing messaging: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26949919 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26949919. Also perhaps worth highlighting the note at the top of their pages saying they believe vaccination is better: "While many treatments have some level of efficacy, they do not replace vaccines and other measures to avoid infection." This seems mathematically defensible to me, since a vaccine that is 95% effective is a 33% risk reduction over a treatment that is 80% effective, per some of the estimated averages on that page (since going from 5% remaining risk to 15% risk is 3 times more cases).
ufo 5y ago
Here in Brazil there have been numerous reports of people getting sick from ivermectin overdose, including people needing liver transplants. When ivermectin is used for it's original purpose, the treatment is usually a one-time dose. However for covid people have been taking higher doses and for a prolonged period of time, in the misguided belief that it protects against covid. https://oglobo.globo.com/sociedade/ao-menos-quatro-pacientes-que-tomaram-kit-covid-aguardam-transplante-de-figado-em-hospitais-de-sp-1-24938473 https://oglobo.globo.com/sociedade/ao-menos-quatro-pacientes...