Covid-19: Hospital may cease giving patient ivermectin, US court rules, as prescriptions soar

An Ohio judge has overturned an earlier court order that forced a hospital to treat a covid-19 patient with the antiparasitic drug ivermectin, popularised by US conservative media. West Chester Hospital was ordered to administer the unproved drug by a county judge on 23 August, after Julie Smith sued on behalf of her husband, Jeffrey Smith, who has been in intensive care since 15 July and on a ventilator since 1 August. Julie Smith launched her lawsuit after the hospital declined to fill a prescription she had obtained from Fred Wagshul, one of three doctors who last year founded the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCCA), a group that has spread claims of ivermectin’s efficacy against the coronavirus.