A 52-year-old man has died in the US after his wife went to court to have his Covid-19 treated with ivermectin.
Ivermectin is a drug used to treat parasites or skin conditions, and is primarily prescribed for animals.
Kevin Smith had been in a hospital in Pennsylvania for nearly three weeks in an induced coma and on a ventilator.
He was diagnosed with Covid-19 on November 10.
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Darla Smith, his wife of 24 years, went to court to challenge the hospital for the ability to treat her husband with ivermectin.
The idea that ivermectin could be used to treat the coronavirus first began in Australia in 2020, where a laboratory found the medicine killed the virus in testing.
However, the amount of the drug needed to have an effect on the virus was much higher than that which is approved for human consumption and the testing was done under lab conditions that don't necessarily stand up to the complexities of using a drug on a human.
On December 3, Judge Clyde Vedder ruled Darla Smith could not force the hospital to treat her husband with ivermectin but allowed her to have an independent physician administer it.
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After two doses, Keith's condition worsened and the treatment was halted.
Darla announced on the website caringbridge.org that her husband had passed away, with their two sons at his bedside.
"Tonight, around 7:45 p.m., my precious husband breathed his last breath," she wrote. "My boys are so strong. They are my rock of solace."
Darla Smith sued the hospital after reading about similar cases throughout the country and was assisted by a group that promotes the use of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19, despite there not being concrete approval for its use amongst experts.
Mrs Smith had previously written that while she wasn't sure the drug would help her husband, she thought it was worth a try.
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It isn't clear if Keith Smith was vaccinated.
Darla said online that while she was angry the hospital delayed the treatment of her husband, she was still very thankful for the nurses who treated him for 21 days.
"You cared for Keith for over 21 days," she said. "You dosed him with the medicines the doctors prescribed.
"You cleaned him and groomed him, moved him, propped him up, dealt with every mess, every smell, every trial. Everything. I appreciate you.
"That's all I'll say about UPMC [the hospital where her husband was treated] at this time," she wrote.
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"You're incredibly lucky to have the nurses you do, jackwads. Treat them better."
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have both said ivermectin should not be used in the treatment of Covid-19.
The FDA has approved the drug for use in animals and in very small doses to treat parasites in humans, although they are two different forms of the drug.
High doses of human and animal ivermectin can be toxic to people, and it is possible to overdose, according to the FDA.
Featured Image Credit: Cultura Creative RF / Alamy Stock PhotoTopics: News, Coronavirus, Covid-19
