WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Food and Drug Administration is urging Americans to stop using a cow and horse de-wormer in misguided attempts to treat COVID-19.
“You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it,” the FDA tweeted this weekend, linking the cheeky PSA to an article about the dangers of the practice.
The drug, Ivermectin, is a tablet that has been approved as a treatment for parasitic worms in cows and horses.
The agency said human use of the drug could be dangerous and cause “serious harm.”
“Never use medications intended for animals on yourself,” the FDA wrote in its post. “Ivermectin preparations for animals are very different from those approved for humans.”
If humans overdose on Ivermectin they can suffer from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension, allergic reactions, dizziness, ataxia, seizures, coma and even death, according to the FDA.
The renewed warning comes as the US suffers from a spike in infections fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.