Whew, baby Jesus! Evidently, some people out in Oklahoma are overdosing on the deworming medication ivermectin so much that emergency rooms are full, and gunshot wound victims have to wait.
According to Dr. Jason McElyea, an ER physician affiliated with hospitals in Sallisaw, the situation is dire.
This week, Dr. McElyea told NBC affiliate KFOR about the dangers of overdosing on ivermectin, a medicine intended to treat livestock.
Apparently, some people believe the unverified claims that it is an effective COVID-19 treatment.
“The ERs are so backed up that gunshot victims were having hard times getting to facilities where they can get definitive care and be treated,” McElyea said.
“All of their ambulances are stuck at the hospital waiting for a bed to open so they can take the patient in, and they don’t have any, that’s it. If there’s no ambulance to take the call, there’s no ambulance to come to the call.”
Many of the doctor’s patients are familiar with the drug. “Growing up in a small town, rural area, we’ve all accidentally been exposed to ivermectin at some time. So, it’s something people are familiar with,” he said.
“Because of those accidental sticks when trying to inoculate cattle, they’re less afraid of it.”
McElyea said he has seen patients suffering from the ramifications of taking the drug, which is meant for a full-sized horse, including instances of vision loss, nausea, and vomiting.
“Some people taking inappropriate doses have actually put themselves in worse conditions than if they’d caught COVID,” he added.
According to The New York Times’ case tracker, Oklahoma has reported a total of 557,770 COVID-19 cases and 8,001 deaths.
US health authorities have said that some initial research is underway, but taking ivermectin is not an approved or recommended treatment for COVID-19, the Insider reported.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a health advisory warning people that they could become severely ill from self-medicating with ivermectin and that overdosing could cause a coma, seizures, and death.
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