This article is co-published on Publish0x.
Introduction: Ivermectin as a COVID Treatment
I have written a few articles about ivermectin and how it could be a viable treatment option for COVID patients. When I first came across this peer-reviewed study from the American Journal of Therapeutics, I was intrigued by the paper's findings from its meta-analyses. Clinical trials from Egypt, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru saw significant reductions in COVID cases and deaths post-ivermectin distribution.
Kory et al.'s (2021) findings were further corroborated after India distributed ivermectin in certain areas to fight the delta variant. Dehli, especially, saw over a 90% drop in cases. Mexico has also distributed the drug and it experienced the same results: a significant reduction in cases and deaths. A peer reviewed study by Lima-Morales et al. (2021) tested the effectiveness of a multi-drug therapy that included ivermectin in Tlaxcala, Mexico and found that the experimental group had a 3.4x greater likelihood of a fully recovery in 14 days than the control group.
These results across different countries are likely not mere correlation. Caly et al. (2020) tested the antiviral activity of ivermectin against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro (i.e. test tube environment). Within a few days, the study observed substantially less viral RNA. An older study found that ivermectin inhibits the HIV's ability to bind to importin, a complex that transports proteins into the nucleus of a cell. Some viruses bind to importin in order to (1) stop interferon activity and (2) integrate their genetic material into the host's genome. SARS-CoV-1's ORF6 protein binds to importin to stop the antiviral STAT1 transcription factor. SARS-CoV-2's ORF6 protein has 69% homology with its SARS-CoV-1 counterpart and it also inhibits interferon activity. A study by Lehrer and Rheinstein (2021) found that ivermectin can potentially bind to SARS-CoV-2's spike protein and prevent it from binding to the ACE2 receptor which is necessary for cell infection.
Results and mechanism from Caly et al. (2020)
While admittedly, the results are not 100% conclusive and more research should be done, there are more signs that suggest ivermectin can fight COVID than those that suggest it cannot. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of politicization behind this drug. In fact, if you dare to mention ivermectin as a potential treatment option for COVID on YouTube, your video will get taken down.
https://twitter.com/BretWeinstein/status/1403561674792075264
Over the past few days, the mainstream media really went ham on trying to discredit ivermectin with many outlets labeling it as a horse dewormer in their headlines as if that's the only purpose the drug serves. The reasons? Joe Rogan taking ivermectin (among other drugs he took) after he caught COVID and a fake story of Oklahoma hospitals overloaded with patients that overdosed on the drug. Even worse, some outlets went as far as resorting to dirty tricks for manipulation.
Joe Rogan Took What?!
On September 1, 2021, Joe Rogan uploaded a video on Instagram summarizing his experience with COVID. Basically, he began to feel unwell and distanced himself from his family as a precaution. The next day, he got tested and it came out positive, so he "threw the kitchen sink" and one of the drugs he used was ivermectin. After just 3 days after he began to feel sick, he almost fully recovered.
When he mentioned the "I" word, the mainstream media went crazy, deriding him for taking "horse dewormer" despite the fact that a human version exists. Rolling Stone, for instance, called Rogan an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and accused him for "bragging" about taking ivermectin. What was even more disgusting was how many outlets like The Independent and CNN replayed his Instagram video in full or in part with a filter that made him look paler and sicker than he actually was.
A small video I made showing the difference in skin tone between CNN's video and Joe Rogan's original video.
The Ivermectin Overdose Epidemic That Never Was
Around the same time Joe Rogan shared his Instagram video, local Oklahoma news outlet KFOR published an article reporting Dr. Jason McElyea's claims that the state's hospitals were backed up due to patients overdosing on ivermectin. He claimed that the ER was so packed that gunshot victims had a difficult time getting treated.
The issue, however, is that while Oklahoma does have a relatively high gun death rate per capita, the raw number over the past decade according to this 2019 article from Oklahoma Watch was low at just 589. The vast majority of those deaths, 405, were the result of suicide. As a result, Dr. McElyea's claims of gunshot victims unable to get treated seemed fishy because the number of victims would be very low.
Regardless, his claims spread around the internet like wildfire. Rolling Stone published an article basically summarizing what KFOR wrote. On Twitter, Rachel Maddow shared KFOR's article, believing Dr. McElyea's claims to be true.
Because the story went viral, it drew the attention of NHS Sequoyah where it posted a statement on its front page to dismiss Dr. McElyea's claims.
A video I recorded in case the NHS Sequoyah's website removed the statement.
As you can see, NHS Sequoyah's statement revealed that Dr. McElyea's claims were false, at least when it pertained to that hospital. It wasn't just that the hospital was never backed up with patients who overdosed on ivermectin, the hospital didn't see a single patient that overdosed on ivermectin.
Closing Thoughts
"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes". This was the case when the mainstream media "reported" on Joe Rogan's Instagram video and the false Oklahoma hospital story. Not only did the media covered these two events with a heavy slant (e.g. "horse dewormer"), but the outlets also resorted to dirty tricks (e.g. putting a filter over Rogan's video) and threw skepticism to the wind.
I am not saying that ivermectin is this "wonder drug" that can cure COVID. However, there is scientific evidence that suggests it can inhibit the virus's replication process and it should be seriously considered as a treatment option, especially for individuals who refuse to take the COVID vaccines. What the mainstream media has done to discredit ivermectin and label people who take it as retards taking livestock medicine is the exact opposite of doing science and actual journalism. It's sick and despicable.
There are no wonder drugs but Ivermectine does the job. The one meant for humans. We cannot say the same if it comes to vaccines. Israel proved it and more countries did. "Good" Pfizer exists and will give boost after boost even if this means the elderly have to be reanimated (Oberhausen, Germany) but Pfizer (one of the most sued companies or is it Fauci and his institute?) is taking a pill. Twice a day it should be taken. Pfizermectin or? New name, same pill only this one will be expensive.
The good news is the vaccine against the flu...that vaccine that hardly works... It turns out to work great against the coronavirus. Most likely that one is too cheap and not killing enough people but it works.