San Juan Regional Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for more than a year now, and some people are taking it upon themselves to investigate unconventional treatments that are not authorized or approved by the FDA. One of these treatments is a drug called ivermectin, which is often used to treat or prevent parasites in animals. The FDA has received multiple reports of patients who have required medical support and been hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses. Please note:

·        Ivermectin is not an anti-viral drug

·        Taking large doses of ivermectin is dangerous and can cause serious harm

·        You should never use medications intended for animals on yourself. 

·        Ivermectin products for animals are different from ivermectin products for humans

San Juan Regional Medical Center warns our community about the dangers of using any treatment for COVID-19 that is not approved or authorized by the FDA, unless it’s part of a clinical trial. Instead, talk to your primary care provider about treatments you may benefit from. For example, San Juan Regional Medical Center offers Monoclonal Antibody infusions for non-hospitalized patients with confirmed mild to moderate coronavirus infection within 10 days of the onset of symptoms. If you have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and feel you may be a candidate, contact your primary care provider immediately to see if you qualify for this treatment. But again, please don’t use any treatment for COVID-19 that has not been prescribed by a healthcare professional and authorized or approved by the FDA.

Lastly, the most important thing we can do to prevent COVID-19 is get the vaccine. San Juan Regional Medical Center strongly urges everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. The first step is registering for the vaccine at www.vaccinenm.org.