Much like memes and videos with naked people, misinformation can be found all over the internet.
Whether you’re on social media, streaming services, or on a FaceTime call with your uncle, rumors and fake news will always be there, somewhere.
Before the pandemic, most of this misinformation was largely harmless.
But now that COVID-19 informs so many aspects of our lives, social media, websites, and group chats are rife with COVID-19 misinformation that could potentially be dangerous.
And when it concerns a drug that may not be safe for consumption, the authorities need to respond.
MOH Rubbished False Claims by Local Websites That Post Misleading Information
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has rubbished false claims made on local websites after they posted “unverified and potentially misleading information on COVID-19 and vaccines”.
The ministry detailed its stance on the matter in a Facebook post yesterday (15 Oct).
“COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Singapore have been assessed to be safe and effective by both the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination,” it said.
The ministry singled out one website – Truth Warriors – for articles on its website which claim Ivermectin is safe and effective in treating COVID-19.
These articles claim that various other countries have been using the drug for the early treatment of COVID-19 with high success rates.
But as MOH pointed out, Ivermectin is a prescription-only medicine registered in Singapore only for the treatment of parasitic worm infection.
“It is not an anti-viral medicine and is not approved by HSA for use in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. To date, there is no scientific evidence from properly conducted clinical trials to demonstrate that Ivermectin is effective against COVID-19,” it added.
Those who think that there’s “no harm in trying” it couldn’t be further from the truth, as MOH said self-medicating with Ivermectin can be dangerous to one’s health.
It cited reports of patients requiring hospitalisation after self-medicating with Ivermectin, with side effects such as vomiting, stomach pain, seizures, severe skin rash, and liver injury, to name a few.
“We strongly advise members of the public not to self-medicate with Ivermectin and to consult their doctor for proper treatment of COVID-19,” MOH said.
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“Please also avoid speculating and/or spreading misinformation which may cause public alarm, and to refer to credible sources of information instead.”
65YO Hospitalised After Taking Ivermectin to Protect Herself From COVID-19
The health ministry certainly wasn’t exagerrating, as a 65-year-old woman who was hospitalised earlier this month can attest to.
On the advice of her church friends, the retiree self-medicated with Ivermectin to protect herself from COVID-19.
After taking four 3mg tablets of ivermectin over two days, she became ill, developing a fever and inflammation of her joints. She would also “vomit violently” after eating food, her daughter said.
Fortunately, her condition stabilised a few days later.
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This is why you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet.
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Featured Image: Screenshot from truthwarriors.info
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