The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the detainees -- Dayman Blackburn, Edrick Floreal-Wooten, Julio Gonzales and Jeremiah Little -- against the Washington County jail, Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder and Dr. Robert Karas. Helder in August revealed that ivermectin had been prescribed to inmates to treat COVID-19.
The inmates said they were told they were being given vitamins, antibiotics or steroids, not ivermectin. They said the drug caused them to develop diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloody stools and vision problems.
"Without knowing and voluntary consent, plaintiffs ingested incredibly high doses of a drug that credible medical professionals, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all agree is not an effective treatment against COVID-19, and that if given in large doses is dangerous for humans," the lawsuit said.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved ivermectin for use by people and animals for some parasitic worms, head lice and skin conditions but not for treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
'Open question' whether omicron is final wave, Fauci says
It's too soon to know whether the omicron variant will be the final phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday.
"It is an open question as to whether or not omicron is going to be the live virus vaccination that everyone is hoping for," Fauci said, putting air quotes around the phrase "live virus vaccination."
There are two ways for a pandemic to end: the infectious disease is eliminated, like measles, or it becomes endemic, which means it still exists without major disruption to society, much like the flu.
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