Great find! I'm so glad that Belize is on the ivermectin train! That raises the country count to (at least) 17!

However, next time please do a link post instead of a text post. That way, if someone else tries to submit the link, the reddit machinery will notify that person that the link has already been summited.

Thanks!

Edit: The full text of the article, because these articles go away sometimes. Text that is double-quoted

like this

is not from the article.

The drug Ivermectin has been approved by Belize’s Ministry of Health as a treatment option for persons with Covid-19. According to the Acting Director of Health Services, Dr Melissa Diaz-Musa the drug can only be obtained with a prescription. She explained to Love News what spurred the ministry’s approval of the drug.

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Acting Director of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Wellness: “To clarify it’s an anti-parasitic drug. It’s a medication that’s been used safely in humans and animals alike for many years. In the 1980’s Ivermectin actually won the Nobel Peace Prize for its use as an anti-parasitic in developing nations so that speaks a lot about it’s safety profile as well.

In 2015. Ivermectin was invented by Merck (from the fungus found in Japan) in 1987.

Over the last few months as you know many countries researchers have been trying to look for medications that can help to reduce viral replication or look for a cure and we do know that this has not been established as yet there is no known cure. But the medical response team along with our Ministry of Health team here we sat down and we revised the research papers, all the articles, everything that we could to look at Ivermectin and its use in other countries and its use in protocols in other countries and we found that it had significant evidence that it has been beneficial in reducing the viral replication – so the multiplication of the virus in your body and some studies have also shown that it has helped with prophylaxis as well.

I think ivermectin reduces replication but several smart readers of the sub disagree.

So when we look at the pros and cons with using Ivermectin a decision was made to put it on our protocols for many reasons. It has a significantly high safety profile, it is effective, it is accessible and it is cost effective as well. So when you look at the flip side of not adding it, when you look at a drug like this that you know some protocols in the US and in developing countries have it in place and these protocols the one in the US is a group of critical care physicians who have sent out protocols that are being used all over the world now and they have it in their protocol as a drug to mange COVID. Ivermectin in the research that we have done has shown that it helps to reduce the virus multiplying in your system so once it enters your nasal tract or your mouth or your eyes it gets into your system and in some people it multiplies significantly and in other people it doesn’t. So the mode of action basically it reduces the viral replication so it helps to reduce the severity of the virus. So it’s not a wonder drug, it has shown to help. We do know that countries have had Ivermectin in their protocols like Peru, Brazil and they still do have a high mortality and morbidity in their population but because when we look at the safety profile the cost effectiveness, the data, the evidence that it has on it it’s basically looking at the risks versus benefits and the decision was then made that it would have more benefits.”

Since the news surfaced on how the Ivermectin drug could help with Covid-19 several reports have surfaced of persons self-administering the drug as a preventative measure. There have also been reports of persons buying it in bulk and having it in storage. This was prior to the ministry’s approval. Fast forward today and the drug can now only be imported and controlled by the Government of Belize. Dr Diaz-Musa noted that the self-administering, like with any other drug is not advisable.

IVM is MUCH safer than OTC drugs like NSAIDs and aspirin! Grrr.

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Acting Director of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Wellness: “It’s not licensed for the management of COVID, and it’s not a mandatory treatment so we’ve decided to put it in the protocols because of what has been listed before in addition to the fact that we have moved the medication out of the general public’s hands because people have been calling with wrong doses injecting themselves trying to find a way to prevent themselves from getting COVID and it’s important that we put it back into the hands of the healthcare professionals.

I'm unaware of anyone ever dying from an ivermectin overdose. I am not all-knowing (by a long shot!) but I'm confident that I would have found that outcome if it ever occurred.

The only actual danger from misdosing is if people give themselves too little.

So we’ll be able to tell you the appropriate dosage for your weight, we could tell you the appropriate dosage for your age, we know the contraindications, we know the side effects so we would be better able to guide that person with regard to the use of Ivermectin.

First time I've heard it suggested that dosing is related to age. Nonsense.

IMO the only (genuine) contraindications are infestations of onchocerciasis and loa-loa. Are those parasites common in Belize? I say (genuine) because there are lots of contraindications (e.g. pregnancy, nursing mother, under age 5 or under 25kg) which are commonplace but contradicted by evidence.

So I think that’s important. It helps to standardize the care that we’re giving, it’s not only Ivermectin we also give a lot of other medications to help with symptomatic relief, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Ibuprofen Oral Rehydration salts, vitamin C, vitamin D3 so there are many others areas that we also discuss with patients when treating for COVID.

Ivermectin is ridiculously safe. Ibuprofen and Tylenol aren't.

Re ibuprofen, a NSAID:

It has been known for some time that these drugs — called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs — have serious side effects and are a major cause of drug-induced injury. They are estimated to cause at least 16,000 deaths per year and send 100,000 people to the emergency room in the U.S.

Tylenol is a brand name for acetaminophen:

Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause for calls to Poison Control Centers (100,000/year) and accounts for more than 56,000 emergency room visits, 2,600 hospitalizations, and an estimated 458 deaths due to acute liver failure each year.

Acetaminophen and the U.S. Acute Liver Failure Study Group: lowering the risks of hepatic failure

Never take more than the prescribed about of acetaminophen! If you're taking a bunch of meds, look at them carefully to make sure you're not exceeding the dose limit because 2 or 3 of your medications contain it!

We are not advising that anybody stores it and for that reason that’s another reason why it’s been placed on the protocols. If it’s placed in the protocols the Ministry of Health will procure and have it at our health facilities so that if a patient goes to our health facility we have it there to give that person in the correct dosage with the correct information along with the prescription. So it’s not advisable for you to just go out and purchase bulk. You know human nature is that we will Google things, we will go and look for our own information and because of so much information on the website people felt that they felt compelled to buy it and after discussing all those we decided at the Ministry of Health and Wellness that it’s best for us to standardize its use and ensure that people are using it correctly.”

Typical public health / physician caution. Can't fault them for that. It's unfortunate that they have the impression that ivermectin is more dangerous than the other drugs in their protocol, though.

I really hope they distribute IVM prophylactically and treat everyone infected with it.

permalink

I feel like this is a small victory, with a reference to the work of Dr. Kory and the FLCCC. " It has a significantly high safety profile, it is effective, it is accessible and it is cost effective as well. So when you look at the flip side of not adding it, when you look at a drug like this that you know some protocols in the US and in developing countries have it in place and these protocols the one in the US is a group of critical care physicians who have sent out protocols that are being used all over the world now and they have it in their protocol as a drug to mange COVID.

permalink

This is excellent news.

permalink

Also covered by Whiteboard Doctor

where he covers the Belize news.

And then also covers again the 4 theorized pathways for how Ivermectin might work against covid-19 (which he has previously detailed in an earlier video - see link at bottom).

https://youtu.be/OQy4j3vg3Cs New Approval Of Ivermectin For COVID-19: Review Of How It May Work And Research To Date [9 Studies] Dec 26, 2020 Whiteboard Doctor

He is referring to the news story on Belize at:

https://trialsitenews.com/central-american-nation-of-belize-authorizes-use-of-ivermectin-for-covid-19/ Central American Nation of Belize Authorizes Use of Ivermectin for COVID-19 Dec 24, 2020

---

In this earlier video Whiteboard Doctor examines the 4 theorized ways that ivermectin may help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bgcgiutrw8 Ivermectin And COVID-19: How Is It Proposed To Work? Review Of All Theorized Mechanisms Of Action. Nov 2020 Whiteboard Doctor

reviews the 4 mechanisms that ivermectin theorized to work:

first 2 to explain why ivermectin may have antiviral impact:

• importin alpha/beta - ivermectin disrupts formation of importin alpha/beta dimer which is needed by virus to enter nucleus of cell - thus virus is unable to neutralize creation of immune response proteins

• RNA dependent RNA polymerase - which is used by virus to manufacture copies of it's RNA - ivermectin expected to block this

and these two theories that aim to explain how ivermectin seems to help in the later inflammatory phase even:

• CD147 receptor found on RBCs, platelet and blood vessel walls - virus attaches to these and leads to clumping between RBCs etc. - leading to clots - ivermectin expected to block this

• STAT3 pathway - which can be responsible for cytokine behaviors and other such - and ivermectin been shown to block STAT3 pathway

permalink