Investigated Content: Tweet by Rio de Janeiro congressman candidate Ed Raposo (PTB) says the National Institutes of Health has added ivermectin to its viral therapy guidelines for covid-19. The tweet shows an image of a screenshot from the NIH website that puts ivermectin alongside other drugs studied or already used as a treatment for the disease, such as remdesivir.
where it was published: Twitter.
Completion of Proof: It is misleading post on twitter which suggests that the US National Institute of Health has now recommended ivermectin for the treatment of Covid-19. The post, made by candidate for federal deputy Ed Raposo (PTB-RJ), uses a true screenshot of the NIH website with information about the drug, but brings wrong conclusions about the content of the text.
On its official page of antiviral therapies for covid-19, the NIH provides data on drugs under study or already used to combat the disease, such as remdesivir, paxlovid and ivermectin. The image of the verified tweet is a screenshot of this page, where you can read “COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines” and links to each remedy. Contrary to what the post says, however, the NIH does not recommend the use of ivermectin for covid-19, other than for clinical studies.
“While there are many studies on ivermectin, only a few have been well designed and conducted,” the NIH says on the website to justify the contraindication. “More recent clinical trials no longer have the limitations of previous studies, but they do not show clear evidence that ivermectin reduces recovery time or prevents the progression of Covid-19.” For the agency, more studies are needed.
Data from a clinical trial known as Together, which was conducted in Brazil and is cited by the NIH, show that There’s no difference significant difference between the use of ivermectin and placebo to reduce the risk of hospitalization for covid-19 (in one case, there was 14.7% hospitalization and in the other, 16.4%). There is also no relevant difference between the two to reduce the risk of mortality from the disease (3.1% to 3.5%).
There is no ivermectin therapy for covid-19 in the United States. When consulted by Comprova, the Food and Drug Administration, the regulatory agency that approves drugs and vaccines in the country, stated that it has never authorized the application of vermifuge for the treatment or prevention of the disease. The agency also said that it has applied clinical tests with the drug and verified its results against covid-19.
misleading, for Comprova, is content taken from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that leads to an interpretation different from the author’s intention; or content that confuses, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.
Scope of publication: Comprova verifies content with wide reach on social networks. As of September 26, there were about 11,500 interactions with the tweet checked, including likes and shares.
What the author of the publication says: Comprova sent a WhatsApp message to a number indicated on Twitter as Ed Raposo’s campaign, but received no response until the completion of this verification. Comprova also tried to call the number, but it did not accept the calls.
How do we check: To verify the misleading tweet, Comprova googled the expressions “NIH”, “ivermectin” and “antiviral therapies” (the same ones that appear in the screenshot shared by the author of the post) and reached the american agency website. In the section on antiviral therapies against covid-19, the NIH page does show ivermectin, but as a drug under study.
The check read the website information about the drug. From there, Comprova understood that, in fact, the NIH does not recommend the use of the dewormer against covid-19, unlike what the verified tweet suggests. Back at Google, the report found that checking services such as Reuters agency earlier this month, rumors like the one spread by the publication had already been denied.
To find out if ivermectin had been released in some other way in the United States, Comprova contacted the Food and Drug Administration. The verification asked the American agency if the use of the drug received a favorable opinion for the treatment or prevention of covid-19. By emailthe agency denied having made any such authorization, despite still conducting studies with the drug.
why do we investigate: Comprova investigates content that has gone viral on social media about the pandemic, the presidential elections and public policies of the federal government. False or misleading content about treatments against covid-19 can influence people to self-medicate with non-recommended drugs – which, in addition to not treating the disease, can compromise health.
Other checks on the topic: The agency Reuters carried out a check on the same subject and denied the information.
In previous verifications on the use of ivermectin, Comprova has already shown to be false that the Japan had declared that the antiparasitic is more effective than the vaccine and that one study carried out in Itajaí proved the efficacy of the drug.
Investigated by: Nexo, O Estado de S. Paulo and SBT. Verified by: Metrópoles, Plural, Piauí, Correio de Carajás, O Dia and A Gazeta.
Source: CNN Brasil
