A syringe of of ivermectin — a drug used to kill worms and other parasites — intended for use in horses only, rests on the box it was packaged in, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Health experts and medical groups are pushing to stamp out the growing use of the parasite drug to treat COVID-19, warning that it can cause harmful side effects and that there's little evidence it helps.
Sarah Boden covers health, science and technology for 90.5 WESA. Before coming to Pittsburgh in November 2017, she was a reporter for Iowa Public Radio where she covered a range of issues, including the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.
Sarah’s reporting has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition Saturday and WBUR's Here and Now. She has won multiple awards, including a regional Edward R. Murrow for her story on a legal challenge to Iowa's felon voting ban.
Ted S. Warren / AP Photo
A syringe of of ivermectin — a drug used to kill worms and other parasites — intended for use in horses only, rests on the box it was packaged in, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Health experts and medical groups are pushing to stamp out the growing use of the parasite drug to treat COVID-19, warning that it can cause harmful side effects and that there's little evidence it helps.
(Pittsburgh) — The state’s two poison centers are treating more Pennsylvanians for ivermectin exposure after misinformation has led some to believe the anti-parasitic drug can cure COVID-19.
In the 19 months since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Pennsylvania, there have been 29 ivermectin exposures documented at the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia poison centers, which cover the western and eastern portions of the state respectively. Though an admittedly small number, it’s a significant increase from the 11 cases that occurred in the 19 months before the pandemic began.
Toxicologist Dr. Michael Lynch of the Pittsburgh Poison Center cautioned against inferring too much over these data as the impact is small, though “clearly” a trend.
Of the 29 post-COVID exposures, 10 occurred between Aug. 12 and Sept. 30.
The actual number of ivermectin incidents in Pennsylvania could be higher as many people might not seek medical care. Even if they do, their case might not be reported to the poison centers.
Ivermectin is one on a growing list of substances that people are taking off-label to treat or prevent COVID infections, though doing so provides no therapeutic benefit in regard to the coronavirus. Some of these home remedies are even deadly.
Mike Stewart / AP Photo
A box of ivermectin is shown in a pharmacy as pharmacists work in the background, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in Ga.
Between August 2018 and February 2020, there were just nine pre-COVID hydroxychloroquine exposures, according to Pennsylvania poison center data. Between March 2020 and September 2021 there were 29 exposures. However many of these recent cases were accidental, which Lynch suspects is related to increased availability of the chemical in people’s homes.
In contrast to chloroquine, ivermectin presents a lower risk.
“Where [ivermectin] gets more dangerous is when people take a whole lot of it. You know like in a veterinary formulation, for instance,” said Lynch. “Or you take more of even a human formulation of it than we would normally recommend, and then [you] are more likely to have adverse effects.”
The Pennsylvania data do not reflect how much ivermectin patients ingest, or where they acquire it. However, only post-COVID ivermectin patients reported adverse symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. This might indicate recent exposures involve larger quantities of the drug.
Notably, the poison center data show that six of Pennsylvania’s post-COVID ivermectin exposures were in children; none of the pre-COVID exposures involved kids. It’s not known how these pediatric cases occurred.
“I suspect that probably some people are giving it to their children if they truly believe that it’s something that could prevent COVID, which it doesn’t,” said Lynch. “But I’m not aware that that’s something that’s happening a lot.”
John Locher / AP Photo
FILE PHOTO: This Monday, April 6, 2020, file photo shows an arrangement of Hydroxychloroquine pills in Las Vegas
But Lynch wonders if many of these pediatric ivermectin cases are the result of curious youngsters getting into things they shouldn’t.
After all, there has also been a 53% increase in hand-sanitizer exposures since COVID prompted a surge in the product’s sales. Many of these incidents involve young kids who are intrigued by sanitizers that are scented or brightly colored with sparkles, remarked Lynch. “A good rule of thumb is whatever is around, kids will get into.”
Instead of taking dangerous drugs and chemicals, Lynch urged people to use clinically validated interventions such as the vaccines, which “are very safe and effective.”
“It has nothing to do with an opinion, those are just the facts,” he said. “We want people to understand when you’re doing these other things, you’re exposing yourself to risk without benefit.”