Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has urged the public to listen to medical experts rather than to Ivermectin conspiracy theorists who are pushing for the use of the drug.
This was Sotto’s reaction after he was asked during a virtual press conference of the Department of Health (DOH) about his take on the use of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin on COVID-19 patients.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said there is no registered Ivermectin for human use and warned that the animal drug can cause serious harm to humans.
“Hinihikayat ko ang mga mamamayan, huwag tayong masyadong ano sa conspiracy theories. Relax-relax lang po tayo sa conspiracy theories (I am urging the public not to be swayed by these conspiracy theories),” he said on Friday (April 30).
“Alam ninyo, ‘yung mga gamot na tina-take natin na prine-prescribe ng mga doctor, dumadaan ‘yan sa matinding proseso. Hindi iyan basta-basta (You know, the drugs that we take that are prescribed by doctors, they go through a rigid process. It’s not that simple,” he added.
Sotto said little proof is not enough to prove that a drug intended for animal use can be fit for humans, too.
“So, just because there is a little bit of positive news or little bit of possibility, or may nakitang kaunting scientific basis, hindi iyon sapat para sabihing, okay na iyan, puwede na iyan. Hindi tayo mga doctor, hindi tayo medical experts, makinig tayo sa mga eksperto (Just because there is a little bit of positive news or little bit of possibility, or a little bit of scientific basis, that’s not enough to say, that’s okay. We are not doctors, we are not medical experts, we should listen to them),” he said.
Some politicians have been advocating for the use of Ivermectin on COVID-19 patients.