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Person hospitalized in Mississippi for taking livestock medicine to allegedly treat COVID-19

Thomas Dobbs
Posted at 12:38 PM, Aug 19, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-19 14:38:33-04

Health officials in Mississippi said one person was hospitalized for allegedly injecting a medicine used on livestock to treat COVID-19.

According to the Mississippi Free Press and The Washington Post, the individual took ivermectin, which is used to treat worms in horses and cows, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Mississippi Free Press reported that it wasn't known if the person is a resident or their current condition.

The FDA has issued warnings about the drug since there's a "growing interest" in people using it to treat COVID-19.

"The FDA has received multiple reports of patients who have required medical support and been hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses," the agency said on its website.

The FDA added that although the drug can be used to treat lice and skin conditions, the agency said the drug prepared for animals and humans are very different.

"Ivermectin tablets are approved at precise doses for some parasitic worms, and there are topical (on the skin) formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. Ivermectin is not an anti-viral (a drug for treating viruses)."