The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received multiple reports of people requiring medical support and hospitalisation after self-medicating with ivermectin to treat Covid-19. And, it has warned that "taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm". Ivermectin tablets are approved by the FDA for humans at very specific doses for some parasitic worms, with topical formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea also available, it has not been approved by the FDA in any form to treat Covid-19. Ivermectin preparations for animals are very different from those approved for humans, the FDA said, and such medications should never be used (by humans).
One Tweeter claims to have taken a dose of ivermectin. Image source: Twitter
In statement, the FDA said "using any treatment for Covid-19 that’s not approved or authorised by the FDA, unless part of a clinical trial, can cause serious harm." The FDA warning about ivermectin - which is not an anti-viral drug - coincides with an advisory from the Mississippi State Department of Health, that "at least 70% of recent calls (to poison control) have been related to ingestion of livestock or animal formulations of ivermectin purchased at livestock supply centres".

Just over 36% of residents in Mississippi are currently vaccinated against Covid-19 and number of people contracting the virus is reported to be 'surging' there.

The FDA stated that even levels of ivermectin for approved uses can interact with other medications, like blood-thinners. And, it continued: "You can also overdose on ivermectin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma and even death. "If you have a prescription for ivermectin for an FDA-approved use, get it from a legitimate source and take it exactly as prescribed."