The more people shout the (racist, if you look just below the surface) claim that ivermectin is "horse dewormer", the more other (less racist but more stupid) p

The more people shout the (racist, if you look just below the surface) claim that ivermectin is "horse dewormer", the more other (less racist but more stupid) people are going to ingest the horse paste formulation of it. The former group needs to realize that the horse has left -- er, that the cat's out of the bag. Viewed in the light most disfavorable to ivermectin, arguendo, the evidence for ivermectin's effectiveness is inconclusive and it cannot be truthfully stated that "it doesn't work"; moreover the evidence for its safety (when taken in the appropriate form and at the appropriate dose) is that it is a ridiculously safe drug. Viewed in a neutral light the evidence really is weighing slightly in favor of ivermectin being part of effective treatment and prophylaxis protocols. The least harm and most benefit will be gained by removing any societal pressures against doctors so that patients can get ivermectin under a doctor's supervision rather than furtively; with the added benefit that under such a system, if the evidence does turn strongly against ivermectin in the future, those doctors can discontinue treatment and explain to their patients the new evidence! The other group just needs to stop eating horse paste. BUT, I suspect that the number of people who have actually done this is probably no more than a few dozen, and that mostly this news is a smear campaign against people taking the human formulation by equating them with people taking the horse paste. Yet, I admit that people's capacity for stupidity never ceases to surprise, so I reserve judgement on the news.