Not only did ivermectin work against Covid, it was remarkably effective, resulting in a 74 percent reduction in excess deaths in the 10 Peru states where it was used most intensively, according to a study.
A pre-print paper showing ivermectin’s effectiveness against Covid in Peru convinced a group of doctors that widespread distribution of the drug could end the pandemic. But, because the paper wasn’t yet peer-reviewed, it was brushed off and "ivermectin for Covid-19 was vilified, as were those who dared to prescribe it," Dr. Joseph Mercola noted.
The study has now been peer-reviewed and published in Cureus on Aug. 8, vindicating ivermectin as a treatment for Covid.
"There was a 14-fold reduction in nationwide excess deaths when ivermectin was readily available and then a 13-fold increase in excess deaths in the two months after ivermectin use was restricted," Mercola said, citing the study.
According to the study, mean reductions in excess deaths 30 days after peak deaths were 74 percent, 53 percent, and 25 percent, respectively, for the maximal, medium, and minimal states that distributed ivermectin. Forty-five days after peak deaths, mean reductions were 86 percent, 70 percent, and 25 percent.
The researchers noted that ivermectin distribution may have yielded such positive numbers due to the drug’s ability to both prevent and treat Covid when distributed to an at-risk population on a greater scale.
Ivermectin is a widely-known and inexpensive treatment against parasitic diseases. Many scientists believe the drug can also bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, limiting its morbidity and infectivity.
Before vaccine mandates, Peru relied on lockdowns and therapeutics to fight Covid, as did many other nations.
On May 8, 2020, the Peruvian Ministry of Health approved ivermectin for use in treating Covid, prompting 25 states in the nation to implement inpatient and outpatient treatments. The Mega-Operación Tayta program, led by the Ministry of Defense, then began distributing ivermectin on a wide scale.
Through a partnership with 11 other government agencies, Mega-Operación Tayta aimed to reach every targeted region with rapid response teams to detect Covid cases, administer ivermectin, and provide food to encourage people to isolate for 15 days.
The government tracked daily Covid deaths and all-cause deaths through numerous Peruvian national health databases, allowing researchers to calculate excess deaths. Additionally, they extensively tracked data for deaths and other public health parameters allowing analysis of the potential efficacy of interventions such as ivermectin during the pandemic.
The study showed that the program had significantly reduced excess deaths in the states where ivermectin was most widely used.
When President Francisco Sagasti took office on Nov. 17, 2020, the government stopped distributing ivermectin and made it available only by prescription.
"This made the drug significantly more difficult for people to obtain and allowed researchers to see nationwide changes in daily excess all-cause deaths before and after restrictions went into place," Megan Redshaw wrote for The Epoch Times.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) likely overstepped its authority when it told Americans to "stop" using ivermectin to treat and prevent Covid, a federal court ruled on Sept. 1.
"FDA can inform, but it has identified no authority allowing it to recommend consumers 'stop' taking medicine," U.S. Circuit Judge Don Willett wrote in the ruling.
The FDA has authority under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to convey information to consumers.
The FDA during the pandemic issued multiple statements discouraging people from taking ivermectin against Covid.
Accompanied by a picture of a horse and a link to an FDA webpage on ivermectin, the agency wrote in one social media post: “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”
The page it linked to is titled, "Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19."
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