Ivermectin use already causes two deaths in New Mexico

NEW MEXICO – For some people taking care of their health is something very important, especially to avoid getting Covid-19, however this measure can be fatal when they choose to self-medicate.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reported that two people died of poisoning from consuming Ivermectin.

Due to the privacy of the cases, there is still not much information about it, but the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reported that two people died of poisoning with this drug.

The NMDOH reported that in one of the cases, the patient had a serious picture of Coronavirus and sought to regain his health through the consumption of that drug.

The drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat or prevent parasites in animals, however it has not approved or authorized its use to prevent or treat Coronavirus.

David Scrase, acting secretary of the State Department of Health, indicated that “it is a serious problem, we have to monitor it” because the objective is to prevent the population from self-medicating and putting their health at risk.

In New Mexico, at least 20 poisonings have been registered due to the use of the drug during 2021, that is, twice the number of cases that occurred during 2020.

This is a very rarely prescribed medicine for humans since if it is taken in excessive amounts, its effects can cause seizures and hallucinations, since Ivermectin becomes a neurological toxin, which can even end in a coma.

Susan Smolinske, director of the New Mexico Poison Center, reported that there have been cases of patients suffering seizures, hallucinations and even coma, meaning that “it can be very dangerous if you take a high enough dose”.

All these cases occurred during the last weeks of this year and in most of the medical interventions the patients indicated that they used the drug to treat or prevent the Coronavirus.

She reported that studies have been done on this drug and Covid-19, however, there is nothing conclusive that indicates that it is positive for humans and perhaps that is why people make the decision to use it.

She stated that doctors do not recommend its use to avoid the virus, nor to treat it in case of contagion; what is recommended is the application of vaccines and preventive measures such as the use of masks, social distancing and hygiene, because “we know that these things do work”.

This medicine is for livestock and in very few cases it is used for human consumption to treat parasite problems that can be transmitted to humans, as long as it is under medical supervision.