'Eroding public confidence': AHS warns against the use of ivermectin amid an 'epidemic of misinformation'
CTV
Alberta Health Services wrote a letter to the public on Tuesday warning about what it called an epidemic of misinformation regarding ivermectin.
Alberta Health Services wrote a letter to the public on Tuesday warning about what it called an epidemic of misinformation regarding ivermectin.
AHS says in the “sometimes desperate search” for treatments or prevention of COVID-19, inaccurate information has surfaced around which medications are and aren’t effective and it says ivermectin “is not one of them.”
“To suggest AHS is withholding life-saving treatment by not supporting the use of ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 is wrong,” the statement read.
“Claims that either the veterinary or human form of the drug is a life-saving medication against COVID-19 are not supported by current research. If there was good evidence for its use against this virus, AHS would absolutely be using it to help patients and reduce the burden on our healthcare system.
“As this evidence does not exist, AHS does not recommend the use of ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 not even as a ‘just in case,’ measure.”
While early studies suggested ivermectin could have possible benefit against COVID-19, none of the most recent trials have supported the findings, AHS explained.
“There are genuine concerns of fraudulent data being reported from some of the early trials, and the largest trial that supported ivermectin use has already been withdrawn as a result of data fraud,” AHS said.
