KOSCIUSKO, Miss.–At least two people in Mississippi have been put in the hospital using Ivermectin meant for animals, according to the Poison Control Center.
“I think some people are trying to use it as a preventative, which I think is kind of crazy. Please don’t do that,” said state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.
Some central Mississippi doctors offices have seen patients who have ended up sick. Dobbs says it’s not a medicine to prevent COVID because taking it every day could be harmful.
“Normally when we’ve used Ivermectin for intestinal parasites or scabies, it’s a one time dose. One day and you’re done. It’s not an everyday type of medicine. There are potential toxicities,” said Dobbs.
It’s meant to treat parasites and some doctors have used it to treat COVID. But, state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers says there’s no evidence to show that it has helped.
Over the weekend 7,249 coronavirus cases were reported, with 56 more deaths from the virus. That includes one person in Neshoba County and one person in Winston County.