Have you seen this graph?
Several Twitter users and so-called alternative media use it as an argument that one must use the drug ivermectin to fight corona.
The information and culture department at the Japanese embassy in Norway writes in an email to Nettavisen that ivermectin is not approved for use against corona in Japan.
– According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, ivermectin is still not approved, but a drug under development, they write in an e-mail to Nettavisen.
Here is an example of a post on social media that has no roots in reality. The Japanese authorities do not recommend the use of the drug ivermectin for coronary treatment:
That is not the only example. It is flooded with messages with recommendations and considerations of the medicine.
American quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who plays for the NFL team Green Bay Packers, has been hit hard after he has for a long time spoken conspiratorially about corona, vaccination and treatment of coronary heart disease. Among other things, he gave an interview last autumn where he said that he had done some fact-checking himself, and that he had received recommended several corona treatments – including ivermectin – by his friend Joe Rogan. The latter, one of the world’s largest podcast presenters, has garnered massive criticism for spreading misleading information about corona and vaccination.
So you do not have to look any further before you find examples of posts where ivermectin is debated:
What is ivermectin?
Ivermectin is a recognized drug that is also used in Norway. In 2015, the creators of the drug received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their work. The medicine is used to kill parasites, both on animals and humans. In Norway, ivermectin is commonly used to fight scabies.
At the Norwegian Medicines Agency websites it is called that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has reviewed documentation from a number of different studies dealing with ivermectin.
“Laboratory studies have shown that ivermectin can prevent the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2, but this requires much higher concentrations than those obtained with the usual use of approved ivermectin drugs.”
Also read: “The misinformation about ivermectin”: – I am very worried
Furthermore, the Norwegian Medicines Agency writes that most of the studies were small and had weaknesses, including that several medicines had been used at the same time and that different dosing regimens had been followed.
“The EMA has therefore concluded that the available knowledge is not currently sufficient to recommend the use of ivermectin in covid-19 – except in clinical trials.”
The Norwegian Medicines Agency also states that ivermectin can cause serious damage to health if given in high doses.
“Although ivermectin is generally well tolerated, adverse effects can not be ruled out using the high doses that would be required to prevent the proliferation of covid-19 virus in the lungs.”
Also read: Corona patient claims viagra saved her life – Norwegian expert warns
False news
– I have looked around a bit and ivermectin has not been recommended by the Japanese authorities, says Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency to Nettavisen.
He refers, among other things, to an article from Reuters which concludes that ivermectin has had nothing to do with the decline in the number of infected in Japan.
– This is not the only fake news we have seen during the pandemic. There are hundreds of articles that have been written, published and withdrawn because they contain fictitious facts, bad research and so on, Madsen tells Nettavisen.
He pulls out one study published in both the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine. It turned out to contain fictitious figures.
– It was the case that even an amateur would discover that this was not correct, Madsen says to Nettavisen. The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine are two of the world’s most recognized medical journals.
– The danger of this is that people would rather have ivermectin than a vaccine. Vaccination is the only way out of the pandemic. If it so happens that more people now want ivermectin against the corona, it is not good, Madsen says to Nettavisen.
In October last year, Nettavisen wrote an article about ivermectin. At the time, Madsen said that it is not known whether ivermectin has any effect against Covid-19.
– There are conflicting data and a blurry picture. A number of studies are underway to find out. It will be very exciting to see if the studies can determine whether ivermectin prevents or treats corona, Madsen told Nettavisen in October.
He referred to the latest summary from reputable Cochrane Library from 28 July last year who concluded that it is not possible to determine whether ivermectin has any effect against the corona.
– Nothing new has happened since last time, Madsen says to Nettavisen now.
Can be used against corona
Ivermectin can be used against corona in Norway, but then a doctor must prescribe the medicine. It has Steinar Madsen tformerly said to Nettavisen.
– Norwegian doctors are free to prescribe it to their patients if they think it is correct and medically justifiable. In Norway, ivermectin is mainly used against scabies, says Madsen.
Madsen and the Norwegian Medicines Agency do not have an overview of how many people have received ivermectin for corona in Norway.
– It is an important medicine. We have some concern that extensive use of ivermectin against corona will lead to scabies resistance. It is the case that heavy use of a drug against bacteria and parasites almost always leads to a form of resistance, says the director.
– The definition of conspiracy thinking
One who has also taken a closer look at how the mention of ivermectin has developed in social media is the blogger, author and lecturer Gunnar Tjomlid. He gives lectures and writes about critical thinking, alternative treatment and science communication.
In a blog posts published in September 2021, he has examined whether it is true that a rapid decline in corona cases in India is due to the use of ivermectin. He concluded that the conclusions drawn were marked by conspiracy theories.
– You cherry-pick the data that fits when it comes to ivermectin, and deny data that does not fit into this picture. That is the very definition of conspiracy thinking. Everything that supports the hypothesis is TRUTH, and everything that speaks against it is FAKE and part of the Great Conspiracy !, he writes on his blog Saksynt.
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