An avalanche of misinformation about the antiparasitic drug ivermectin\u2019s ability to treat COVID-19 has caused a series of national problems, from increased calls to poisoning centers to a shortage of the medicine itself.<\/p>\n
Patients have become desperate for a treatment that\u2019s most commonly used for livestock and have taken their disputes over ivermectin with hospitals to court.<\/p>\n
Disinformation has flooded the internet, where dozens of Facebook groups centered around ivermectin remain active despite insufficient evidence that the medicine works in treating people for COVID-19.<\/p>\n
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), other state health departments and even Merck, the drug\u2019s main manufacturer, have all warned against using ivermectin for COVID-19. Still, online influences supporting the controversial COVID-19 treatment endure.<\/p>\n
Media Matters for America found 60 public and private Facebook groups dedicated to ivermectin last month, before the social media giant removed 25 of them after the liberal watchdog\u2019s report. But the other groups still involve more than 70,000 combined users.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe promise that there are miracle solutions to an illness is really persuasive,\u201d Jennifer Reich, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Denver. \u201cAnd the idea that individuals can manage their own health, if they read a lot, gather information and make their own decisions is really powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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