CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Health Region 10 issued a warning on September 16, 2021, regarding the use of livestock medicine Ivermectin as one of the treatments of the Covid-19 virus.
DOH-Region 10 Director Jose Llacuna, Jr. said that he issued an advisory on September 15, 2021, against the use of Ivermectin.
“I issued an advisory on September 15, 2021, regarding the statement on the use of Ivermectin for prevention or treatment of Covid-19,” Llacuna said.
Llacuna is referring to the Health and Guidance Advisory issued by Misamis Oriental Provincial Health allowing the use of Ivermectin as Covid-19 treatment.
Misamis Oriental Provincial Health Officer Dr. Jerie Calingasan has allowed the use of livestock anti-parasitic drug for the treatment of Covid-19 virus in the province’s eight hospitals.
Calingasan has issued a Health and Advisory Guidance on September 15, 2021 allowing the use of Ivermectin as treatment for Covid-19 citing Philippine News Agency’s news article that said, President Rodrigo Duterte leaves its use to the discernment of ‘Doctor-Patient relationship’.
In his advisory, Calingasan detailed that Ivermectin inhibits the replication of many viruses including SARS-CoV-2. It has potent anti-inflammatory properties with multiple mechanisms of inhibition.
Calingasan cited that Ivermectin prevents viral entry into the host cells. It also prevents cytokine storms. It diminishes viral load and protects against organ damage and Ivermectin hastens recovery and decreases hospitalization and mortality in patients with CoviD 19.
Calingasan also cited Ivermectin’s remarkable safety record.
“As an advisory, you add ivermectin to your Hospital treatment protocol for Covid-19 at a dose of 2 capsules now, then 1 capsule 2x day for the next 4 days,” Calingasan said in his advisory.
“If you have the best treatment protocol or the best option, go ahead as our goal here is to stop death due to Covid-19 Infection,” Calingasan added.
However, Llacuna said that based on science-based evidence, the use of Ivermectin did not increase or reduced negative COvid-19 cases.
Ivermectin did not reduce deaths, did not reduce the need for mechanical ventilation for supplemental oxygen.
“Ivermectin did not make a difference in the length of hospital stay did not improve out-patient’s condition, did not prevent confirmed covid-19 cases,” Llacuna said.
“Ivermectin is not recommended for prevention or treatment of Covid-19. It may only be used for its indication as anti-parasitic,” Llacuna added.
Llacuna added that the livestock medicine can be used in strict clinical trial settings, such as the one conducted by the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.
In April this year, the Food and Drug Administration also issued a warning against Ivermectin.
“We do not recommend the use of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 as the benefits of this antiparasitic drug for this purpose has not been established,” FDA Director General Rolando Domingo said.
“President Rodrigo Duterte has also ordered DOST PCHRD to conduct a clinical trial to test the efficacy of ivermectin against COVID-19, let’s wait for the results,” Domingo added.
“We urge all stakeholders to continue strengthening our covid-19 response through evidence-based prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and re-integration strategies,” Llacuna added.
Llacuna said that equally important is the vaccination campaign of the DOH that seeks to gain herd immunity for the general public
