Flyers promoting ivermectin as COVID-19 treatment prompt warning in B.C. city

Flyers promoting the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 are circulating in Kelowna B.C., prompting a warning from the local health authority about the dangers of the unauthorized use of the drug.

On Friday, Interior Health shared an image of the flyer on social media. Its background features illustrations of the virus that causes COVID-19 and the text invites people to contact the seller.

"Email me with the promo code below and receive a confidential reply with wholesale process. Local pick up, drop off or national shipping available," it says. The health authority has blacked out the contact details.

The accompanying warning from Interior Health says using either veterinary or human versions of the anti-parasitic drug is not authorized for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

"Using this product may cause serious health problems," the tweet says.

Commonly described as a "horse de-wormer," ivermectin has also been approved for treatment of parasitic worm infections in humans in Canada. In August of last year, federal health officials issued an advisory after seeing an increase in the off-label use of the drug.

"Health Canada is advising Canadians not to use either the veterinary or human drug versions of ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19. There is no evidence that ivermectin in either formulation is safe or effective when used for those purposes," the warning said.

"The veterinary version of ivermectin, especially at high doses, can be dangerous for humans and may cause serious health problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, allergic reactions, dizziness, seizures, coma and even death."

In October, the warning was updated and re-issued after an uptick in calls to poison control centres across the country. That warning specifically addressed advertising the drug as a treatment for COVID-19.

"It is illegal in Canada to sell or advertise a drug in a false, misleading or deceptive manner," it said, adding that the drug was being actively advertised at that time.

"Health Canada continues to monitor the situation. In the event of additional cases of illegal marketing activities involving ivermectin products as a treatment for COVID-19 are identified, the department will take action to mitigate the risk to Canadians."

The distribution of the flyers comes at a time when concerns about an impending COVID-19 surge are mounting in B.C.

Last Wednesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix spoke about fall respiratory viruses, particularly COVID-19 and influenza, and their serious concerns the province could be hit with a flood of hospitalizations from both at the same time.

The next day, the province reported its largest one-week increase in the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 since July.