Judge Rules Hospital Can't Be Forced To Use Deworming Drug For COVID-19 Patient

A judge ruled that a hospital in Ohio cannot be forced to administer ivermectin on a patient with COVID-19, NBC News and Insider reported Tuesday.

The decision reverses an earlier order by another judge last month that ruled in favor of a COVID-19 patient's wife who wanted her husband to be given the deworming medication.

In an 11-page resolution, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Michael Oster Jr. wrote there "was no doubt the medical and scientific communities don't support the use of ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19," NBC said.

Julie Smith, the wife of patient Jeffery Smith, filed a lawsuit against the West Chester Hospital after its medical staff refused to treat her husband with ivermectin that was prescribed to him by a physician.

Gregory Howard, Butler County Common Pleas Judge, sided with Smith at the end of August and the hospital was forced to administer ivermectin to her husband.

Based on evidence, Oster noted that Ivermectin is "not an effective treatment" for the virus. Ivermectin is mainly used to deworm horses but some health experts have promoted the treatment.

Oster cited recommendations and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which warn that ivermectin is not proven to treat the disease and can have serious side effects.

The 51-year old Smith was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 9 and was admitted to the hospital almost a week later, court records show. He was intubated August 1 and by August 19 his chances of survival had dipped below 30 percent.

West Chester appealed the ruling, contending in court against the credentials of Fred Wagshul, who prescribed the drug, and pointing to the FDA's warning against using ivermectin to treat coronavirus.

Washgul, who is not board certified, was co-founder of a not-for-profit organization called "Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance," which supports the use of ivermectin as a treatment against the virus.

Ralph Lorigo, one of the legal counsels representing Smith, disclosed that they won't appeal Oster's ruling since Smith was already given 13 days of doses and West Chester said they're ready to remove his ventilator.