Last week I felt a little tickle in the back of my throat. We all know what that means! I updated my will, shared tearful goodbyes with my family and friends, and got out the stuff I’d previously procured for such an event.

In addition to zinc and quercetin was a syringe of DuraMectin (ivermectin) paste 1.87% “For oral use in horses only”:

In November I bought a six-pack for $50 via Amazon. As of this writing the asking price for a six-pack is $86. The Amazon listing:

https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Duramectin-Equine-Wormer-Paste/dp/B01EP4TPNY

Has a blurb:

SAFETY ALERT: Animal products containing ivermectin SHOULD NOT be used in people. These products can cause serious health effects, including death. Ivermectin has not been shown to be a safe or effective way to prevent or treat COVID-19. If you are worried about COVID-19, please talk to your doctor.

Followed by a link entitled:

Learn more from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The link goes to an Amazon page advertising pet supplies. Those genuinely eager to partake of the FDA’s wisdom can go here:

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19

The executive summary of which is: “It’s dangerous, ineffective, and not approved for the new virus.”

After entering “covid-19 treatment protocol” into DuckDuckGo I had to scroll down to the third page of results to find what I was looking for: The Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Protocols:

https://covid19criticalcare.com/covid-19-protocols/

Which state that the standard dose of ivermectin for people is the same as the dose listed on the DuraMectin box for horses: 0.2mg/kg. At the standard dose the DuraMectin syringe contains enough ivermectin to treat a 1250lb horse and the plunger has convenient markings for 250lb increments with a notch every 50lb. The syringe cap makes an excellent seal.

I did not follow the protocol. I don’t know how much I weigh but I’ll guess 180lb. For five consecutive days I pushed a 250lb dose of paste onto a spoon and licked it off. It’s not nice: Bitter with a horrible slimy mouth feel. On the other hand I did not get sick or die and the throat tickle didn’t turn into anything. I noticed no effect at all.