Four Arkansas Inmates Say They Were ‘Used As An Experiment’; Claim Jail Doctor Gave Them Ivermectin To Treat COVID-19

Four Arkansas men detained at the Washington County jail have filed a lawsuit against the facility, claiming they were “used as an experiment.”

On behalf of four men, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas filed a lawsuit against the Washington County Detention Center and its doctor on Thursday for allegedly giving the men ivermectin to treat COVID-19 even though health officials warned against the use of the anti-parasitic drug as a treatment for the Coronavirus.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug for people and animals to use if they have certain parasitic worms, such as head lice. However, the FDA never suggested the drug be used to prevent COVID-19.

NBC News reports that the men were never informed that the drug they were taking was ivermectin instead of what they were told, which was “antibiotics,” “steroids” or “vitamins.” “The truth, however, was that without knowing and voluntary consent, plaintiffs ingested incredibly high doses of a drug that credible medical professionals, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all agree is not an effective treatment against COVID-19, and that if given in large doses is dangerous for humans,” the lawsuit said, NBC News reports.

During a local finance and budget committee meeting back in August, Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder confirmed the doctor who prescribed the ivermectin was Dr. Robert Karas, CBS News reports. The men are calling for an independent provider to give them a medical evaluation, and they are seeking to be “awarded their costs, fees, and any other appropriate relief to which they are entitled.”