Loss of Common Sense in Covid-19: The Story of Ivermectin

Romeo F. Quijano
Professor (Ret.), College of Medicine
University of the Philippines Manila

It is not only sense of smell that is lost in Covid-19 but also common sense. This is quite evident in the story of ivermectin. Most seriously affected by the loss of common sense are those in the government’s power structure of the country’s Covid-19 pandemic response, public health officials and “experts”, and the mainstream media. Common sense is perceiving things as they truly are and doing things as they should be. Common sense, however, is not just an instinctive decision resulting from sensual perception but also a rational conclusion as a result of logical reflection. It is the innate ability to perceive the truth behind the facade of common beliefs and managed information dished out by the ruling elite in a basically undemocratic society and servile citizens. Common beliefs or dogma can be manufactured but not common sense. Common sense is doing the right thing even in the face of common beliefs. Common sense is not the product of beliefs, tradition or submission but of careful observation, analysis and intuition. It is also not a product of attaining higher level of learning and education nor a result of climbing up the ladder of social class and structures of power. As Victor Hugo said: “Common sense is in spite of, not the result of, education.”

Government health officials and their “experts” say that ivermectin should not be used because there are no clinical trials that show that ivermectin is effective when used for patients with Covid-19. When confronted with the fact that there are in fact already clinical trials in several other countries that show the efficacy of ivermectin for Covid-19 prophylaxis and treatment, they modify their argument and say, yes there are, but they are insufficient, more clinical trials are needed. They also mislead people by saying that ivermectin is used only in animals. When confronted with the fact that ivermectin was first used for parasitic infections in humans, they say, yes, but the available ivermectin in the country is only for animals and therefore dangerous to use in humans. When confronted with the fact that ivermectin formulations have been registered previously and is listed in the national formulary of essential drugs, and has long history of safety as attested to by international bodies, they say, yes, but ivermectin is no longer registered for human use and there are serious adverse that can happen if used in humans. When informed that some doctors are already prescribing ivermectin to asymptomatic and mild to moderate cases of Covid-19, based on their own analysis of available studies and experience that the drug is safe and effective, they say, these doctors are violating the law. When informed further that the doctors prescribing ivermectin can save lives and is urgently needed by their patients since these patients are refused admission by hospitals and are told that they come only when symptoms become severe, they say, well, these doctors can apply for “compassionate use” and the ivermectin manufacturer or supplier can apply for “emergency use authorization”. When asked why can’t the government itself be proactive, be “compassionate” and make ivermectin available in this Covid-19 emergency situation where countless people are dying and ivermectin offers hope for desperate people, they hem and haw and avoid the question, repeating what they already said and invoking rules and regulations to be followed. They admonish people to have a little bit more patience since vaccines are already being rolled out, repeating the mantra that vaccines are the be-all and end-all that would solve the Covid-19 crisis.

Now, let’s go into a little bit more details and try to make sense out of this story. The health officials say there are insufficient clinical trials and together with various local medical societies, they issue a joint statement saying “We do not recommend the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. It has not been proven to significantly reduce mortality or improve other clinical outcomes.” citing a “systematic review of 6 randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) of good methodological quality” (1) without revealing that they receive quite a substantial amount of largesse from Big Pharma.  They completely ignore the fact that an independent group called Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) analysed a much more extensive list of clinical trials (50 studies, 26 were randomised controlled trials). Of the 50 studies, 98% report positive effects and 76% show lower mortality. Of the 26 RCT’s, 96% report positive effects, with an estimated 66% improvement. FLCCC is a group of highly published, critical care physician-scholars and allied physicians from around the world.(2) This was corroborated by another independent review of 11 RCT’s whose results show 62% reduction of mortality.(3)

They say that ivermectin is used only for animals and it is dangerous to use ivermectin for humans.

They seem to be ignorant of the fact that after about 3 decades of use in humans, ivermectin continues to provide a high margin of safety for a growing number of indications. Numerous studies report low rates of adverse events as an oral treatment for parasites. Even WHO have recommended have recommended mass administration of ivermectin for filariasis, saying it is safe and effective.(4) In fact, about 3.7 billion doses of ivermectin have been distributed in mass drug administration campaigns globally over the past 30 years.(5) In DR Congo, between the years 2003 and 2017, the total average population treated was around 15,552,588 with 55 deaths associated with ivermectin treatment.(6) Compare this to 4,095 deaths due to paracetamol in England and Wales during the same period.(7)

And why can’t the government itself  be proactive and make ivermectin immediately available in this Covid-19 emergency situation where countless people are dying and ivermectin offers hope for desperate people? Well, they say there are laws and rules and regulations that need to be followed, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the government has already declared a state of emergency and the legal impediments can easily be overcome, as the centuries old legal maxim states that the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law, especially under a national state of emergency. They admonish people to have a little bit more patience since vaccines are already being rolled out, without revealing that the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines have been questioned by many credible independent scientists and are fraught with serious adverse effects including deaths. They turn a blind eye to the fact that 50,861 adverse events following COVID vaccines, including 2,249 deaths and 7,726 serious injuries between Dec. 14, 2020 and March 26, 2021 have been reported officially in the vaccine adverse events reporting system (VAERS) of the US.(8)

In their futile attempts to justify their irrational and anti-people behaviour, government health officials and their “experts” seem to forget that common sense is more important than technocratic directives, clinical trials, bureaucratic procedures, laws, rules and regulations. The Covid-19 spectre, vaccine mania, deceptive remedial schemes and brutal, anti-people pandemic responses  created by militarism and big money have shoved by the wayside pro-people, more sensible and a wider range of prevention and treatment strategies to address the pandemic. For people with independent minds and awakened consciousness, it is a mere matter of common sense to recognize that most governments, international bodies, academic and science institutions, mainstream medical doctors and mainstream media are under the effective control of Big Pharma and the global moneyed elite.

See also:

Covid 27, Dr. Rafael Castillo on vaccine, Ivermectin, and lifting the lockdown, March 24, 2021
Covid 28, Drs. Villa and Landrito, Ms. Cuisia, on IVM and lockdown, April 01, 2021
Covid 29, CDC PH on WHO, Salvana attack of IVM, April 09, 2021.