‘You are not a horse.’ Dewormer flies off shelves at Florida feed stores to battle COVID

As COVID cases continue to spike in Florida, some people who don’t want to get the vaccine are looking for an unorthodox remedy to stave off or even cure the virus: ivermectin.

The anti-parasitic medication is commonly used as a dewormer for cows, horses and other livestock. Sales of the stuff have gone up so much that the Food and Drug Administration put out a warning.

“You are not a horse. You are not a cow,” the FDA tweeted with pictures of the two animals side by side. “Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”

Things have gotten so alarming that the Florida Poison Control Center also sent out a warning to not ingest the dewormer after a 282 percent increase in calls to the center in August.

“We are seeing a spike in cases related to ivermectin, a deworming medication. We’ve treated 27 patients so far in August, with most of them related to inappropriate use of ivermectin made for livestock,” the center said. “Some of these cases involved serious side effects, including seizures. Please note, ivermectin has not been authorized or approved by the FDA for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.”

In Jacksonville, the owner of Standard Seed & Feed told News Jax 4 he can’t restock his shelves fast enough. Frank Wallmeyer used to buy a dozen bottles at a time of the veterinary medicine, and now about 100.

“They’re using it for COVID,” he said. “It’s a horrible, horrible disease and people are desperate and they’re willing to try anything they think will work.”

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In Tallahassee, Christy Phillips, owner of Country Feed Store & Garden, can’t keep ivermectin in stock, either. She told The Tallahassee Democrat dozens of calls come in a day asking when it will be available.

“There’s a level of fear out there right now that is making people feel a little bit desperate about a lot of things,” Phillips said.

Ivermectin does have FDA-approved medicinal use for humans to treat lice, scabies and other parasitic infections, but prescribed by a medical professional. The dewormer is not a new weapon in the COVID fight.

In April 2020, at the start of the pandemic and lockdowns, ivermectin entered the conversation after a study showed the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, was inhibited after being exposed to ivermectin in a petri dish.

The FDA was forced to send out its first warning back then after people began sharing the findings on social media as the magic-bullet cure.

“The FDA is concerned about the health of consumers who may self-medicate by taking ivermectin products intended for animals, thinking they can be a substitute for ivermectin intended for humans,” it said on its website. “People should never take animal drugs, as the FDA has only evaluated their safety and effectiveness in the particular animal species for which they are labeled. These animal drugs can cause serious harm in people. People should not take any form of ivermectin unless it has been prescribed to them by a licensed health care provider and is obtained through a legitimate source.”

Clinical trials are continuing to examine ivermectin’s potential effect on COVID-19.