Ivermectin frenzy: the advocates, anti-vaxxers and telehealth companies driving demand - 2021-09-13
Ivermectin frenzy: the advocates, anti-vaxxers and telehealth companies driving demand September 13, 2021,
At the top of a Florida-based telehealth website that promises "quality meds with fast shipping", above a menu of skin care products, erectile dysfunction medications and hair loss treatments, sits a bright orange banner with bold lettering: "LOOKING FOR IVERMECTIN? CLICK HERE," it reads.
The telehealth site is one of numerous online providers that have moved to capitalize on the surge in demand for ivermectin as Covid-19 cases rise across the US. The drug, an anti-parasitic used in both humans and livestock, has become the latest in a series of much-hyped medications for which doctors say there is no conclusive evidence they work to treat coronavirus.
Driving the ivermectin frenzy is a cottage industry of advocacy groups, anti-vaccine activists and telehealth companies. Touting the drug as a "miracle cure" for Covid-19, these groups have rapidly risen to prominence, finding a fervent audience among conservative media figures, the vaccine-hesitant and people desperate to treat loved ones suffering from the virus.