Are the claims on ivermectin made by a TUDM Brigadier-General and TUDM Major accurate?
Let’s take a look at the viral ivermectin claims by these TUDM officers, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Ivermectin Claims by TUDM Brigadier-General + Major
A message on ivermectin purportedly to be by a retired TUDM Brigadier-General and a retired TUDM major has gone viral on WhatsApp.
The message is long, so just skip to the next section for the FACTS.
(07/07, 02:12) BG Dato Goh Seng Toh TUDM: Am very happy today cos my friend’s wife who was tested Covid 19 positive was declared cleared of the Covid19 virus by the doctor at the Government Quarantined Centre this morning. She was on Ivermectin, vitamin C, fresh fruits and simple foods for 5 days. She was so happy. Please consider taking Ivermectin with vitamin C and zinc if any of your family members is infected with Covid19 virus. Early treatment with Ivermectin is even better. Don’t wait until stage 3 or 4
We do like to read but listen to so called experts.. but most of the experts are half past six and bogus..
We have to change our paradigm if we want to be a developed country..
– Maj Mior Rosli.
7Jul 21.
Ivermectin Claims by TUDM Officers : What Are The Facts?
TUDM Brigadier-General Dato Goh Seng Toh and Major Mior Rosli from TUDM (Royal Malaysia Air Force) made a number of amazing claims about ivermectin.
So let’s go through their ivermectin claims, and see what the FACTS really are…
Claim #1 : Ivermectin + Vitamin C + Zinc Works Against COVID-19
Verdict : FALSE
TUDM Brigadier-General Dato Goh Seng Toh is advising all of us to “consider taking ivermectin with vitamin C and zinc“, but provides no evidence for their efficacy against COVID-19.
Ivermectin has been shown to work against COVID-19 in lab (in vitro) studies, but does NOT improve clinical outcomes or prevent transmission.
- June 2021 study in The Lancet : No improvement in symptoms or clinical outcomes with triple-dose ivermectin
- February 2021 study in The Lancet : No difference in transmissibility with double-dose ivermectin.
That is why the WHO and the vast majority of health authorities around the world DO NOT advocate using ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.
Read more : Latest Ivermectin COVID-19 Study : What Does It Really Say?
Claim #2 : MoH Allows Prescription Of Ivermectin For COVID-19 Treatment
Verdict : Misleading
The Malaysia Ministry of Health does NOT allow the prescription of ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment.
However, they allow hospitals to apply to the Drug Control Agency (DCA) for the “off-label” use of ivermectin, which “must be done in a monitored environment“.
So you cannot simply get a prescription for ivermectin. Neither can you buy it online or over-the-counter.
Be warned – the illegal sale of ivermectin is punishable by fines of up to RM50K and/or 5 years jail!
Read more : Can Hospitals In Malaysia Use Ivermectin To Treat COVID-19?
Read more : Illegal Ivermectin Sale : Up to RM50K Fine + 5 Years Jail!
Claim #3 : 32 Countries Used Ivermectin To Combat COVID-19
Verdict : FALSE
There is no evidence that 32 countries have officially used ivermectin to combat COVID-19, much less reported any success with it.
Countries that ivermectin proponents have been promoting – India, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, South Africa – have all failed to control COVID-19.
Just look at their COVID-19 case numbers below. Does it look like ivermectin helped them at all? Is it therefore surprising to learn that on 27 May 2021, India dropped ivermectin?
Read more : MAECC Ivermectin Briefing : Control COVID-19 In 6 Weeks?
Claim #4 : It Is Safe To Take 10 Ivermectin Tablets At One Go
Verdict : Misleading
TUDM Major Mior Rosli claimed that it is safe to take 10 ivermectin tablets at one go. That’s potentially dangerous advice, because ivermectin tablets come in different doses, and the proper dosage is tied to body weight.
A 2002 study on ivermectin safety showed that it was safe at up to 120 mg in a single dose. This is 10X the FDA-approved dose of 200 micrograms per kg for a 60 kg healthy adult.
However, the study did not look at taking such a large dose of ivermectin on a continuous basis, only a single dose.
In addition, self-medicating with ivermectin can lead to overdosing because the tablets available in most countries, including Malaysia, are formulated for animal use.
In February 2021, Julie Weber, President of the American Association of Poison Control Centers and the director of the Missouri Poison Center warned that people are getting poisoned by fake COVID-19 cures like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.
The Missouri Poison Center also issued a warning :
There have been reports of intentional ivermectin overdoses which can cause serious symptoms such as seizures, coma, lung and heart problems.
Claim #5 : Ivermectin Kills Any COVID-19 Variant
Verdict : FALSE
TUDM Major Rosli claimed that ivermectin kills any COVID-19 variant. That’s FALSE, because ivermectin does not actually “kill” the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Ivermectin has been shown to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but that’s not the same thing as killing it.
Just because I blocked you from entering my home, does that mean I killed you? Of course not!
Several mechanisms of action has been proposed for ivermectin, none of which actually involves killing the virus :
- inhibiting the host cell’s importin alpha/beta-1 nuclear transport proteins
- interfering with the attachment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
- exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties
Claim #6 : Current Vaccines Do Not Protect Against Delta Variant
Verdict : FALSE
Major Rosli’s claim that current vaccines do not protect against the more dangerous Delta variant is FALSE.
Public Health England’s data have shown that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines offer robust protection against the Delta variant, after two doses.
Read more : Why Delta Variant Causes MORE Breakthrough Infections!
| COVID-19 Variant |
Symptomatic COVID-19 |
Hospitalisation | ||
| 1 Dose | 2 Doses | 1 Dose | 2 Doses | |
| Alpha (UK) | 50% | 66% | 76% | 86% |
| Delta (India) | 33% | 60% | 71% | 92% |
Claim #7 : India Used Ivermectin To Control Delta Variant
Verdict : FALSE
That’s not true. India had earlier adopted ivermectin for use in mild or asymptomatic COVID-19, but that is no longer the case.
On 27 May 2021, India dropped ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and favipiravir, azithromycin, doxycycline, zinc and even plasma therapy after they proved to be INEFFECTIVE against COVID-19.
Claim #8 : Philippines Allowed Ivermectin To Be Used
Verdict : Misleading
As it so happened, I watched the Philippines Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability bully the Filipino Secretary of Health, Francisco Tiongson Duque III in the HR 1711 public hearing.
Just like in Malaysia, the Philippines already allows hospitals to apply for off-label use of medicine.
So what Secretary Duque did was agree to clarify that there is an existing CSP (Compassionate Special Permit) that doctors can apply for.
Read more : Philippine Secretary of Health Duque Allows Use Of Ivermectin By Doctors?
Claim #9 : Australia Is Using Ivermectin Against COVID-19
Verdict : FALSE
Australia does NOT use ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.
Here is the 1 June 2021 conclusion on ivermectin by the Australian Department of Health :
There is currently insufficient evidence to support the safe and effective use of ivermectin, doxycycline and zinc (either separately, or in combination) for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
More robust, well-designed clinical trials are needed before they could be considered an appropriate treatment option.
Claim #10 : Singapore Is Using Ivermectin Against COVID-19
Verdict : FALSE
Singapore does NOT use ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.
Here is the 18 June 2020 conclusion from the Singapore Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Rapid Review :
There is insufficient high-quality evidence to show chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are effective for post-exposure prophylaxis or treatment of COVID-19.
Instead, evidence to date suggests the use of these agents is associated with more harms than standard of care.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
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