Ivermectin Overdose

Oklahoma Hospital Refutes Rolling Stone Claim That ERs Are Clogged With Ivermectin Overdoses

In 2014 Rolling Stone magazine published a story about an alleged rape at a fraternity at the University of Virginia.

The supposed assault was a hoax, and a few years the lefty magazine was ordered to pay the fraternity $1.65 million and another $3 million to a UVA dean to settle defamation lawsuits based on the article.

The Columbia Journalism Review, after analyzing the story, dubbed it  “a mess – thinly sourced, full of erroneous assumptions, and plagued by gaping holes in the reporting.”

Rolling Stone apparently did not learn.

Recently, the magazine published a story with the headline “Gunshot Victims Left Waiting as Horse Dewormer Overdoses Overwhelm Oklahoma Hospitals, Doctor Says.”

The magazine cited a local news media report in Oklahoma that quoted Dr. Jason McElyea, who asserted that because of Ivermectin overdoses hospitals were “so backed up that gunshot victims were having hard times getting” treated.

“The ERs are so backed up that gunshot victims were having hard times getting to facilities where they can get definitive care and be treated,” said McElyea, who was purportedly an ER doctor.

Rolling Stone’s story went viral in the liberal media, circulated by MSNBC personality Rachel Maddow, The New York Times, Newsweek, and others.

The reason is that Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug touted by some on the right as a treatment for COVID-19, is also used to deworm horses and cattle. Because of that, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory about taking animal medication.

But what many liberals dismissed was that the FDA noted in its statement that Ivermectin has uses in humans for treating intestinal conditions, head lice, and skin problems. “If your health care provider writes you an ivermectin prescription, fill it through a legitimate source such as a pharmacy, and take it exactly as prescribed,” the FDA said.

Last week, Republican Sen. Rand Paul said that “hatred for [former President Donald] Trump” had “deranged these people so much that they’re unwilling to objectively study” Ivermectin as a possible treatment.

More recently, podcaster Joe Rogan claimed he took Ivermectin after contracting COVID, and it helped him quickly recover.

On Saturday, a hospital refuted Rolling Stone’s article on its website.

“Although Dr. Jason McElyea is not an employee of NHS Sequoyah, he is affiliated with a medical staffing group that provides coverage for our emergency room. With that said, Dr. McElyea has not worked at our Sallisaw location in over 2 months. NHS Sequoyah has not treated any patients due to complications related to taking ivermectin. This includes not treating any patients for ivermectin overdose,” the hospital said.

“All patients who have visited our emergency room have received medical attention as appropriate. Our hospital has not had to turn away any patients seeking emergency care. We want to reassure our community that our staff is working hard to provide quality healthcare to all patients. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify this issue and as always, we value our community’s support.”

To its credit, Rolling Stone did not wait to be hauled into court before offering an “update.”

“Update: One hospital has denied Dr. Jason McElyea’s claim that ivermectin overdoses are causing emergency room backlogs and delays in medical care in rural Oklahoma, and Rolling Stone has been unable to independently verify any such cases as of the time of this update,” the magazine said on its own website.

“Oklahoma-specific ivermectin overdose figures are not available, but the count is unlikely to be a significant factor in hospital bed availability in a state that, per the CDC, currently has a 7-day average of 1,528 Covid-19 hospitalizations,” the magazine added.

“The doctor is affiliated with a medical staffing group that serves multiple hospitals in Oklahoma. Following widespread publication of his statements, one hospital that the doctor’s group serves, NHS Sequoyah, said its ER has not treated any ivermectin overdoses and that it has not had to turn away anyone seeking care. This and other hospitals that the doctor’s group serves did not respond to requests for comment and the doctor has not responded to requests for further comment. We will update if we receive more information.”

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