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Kate Plummer
Jan 31, 2022
GB News journalist rips into Laurence Fox over anti-vaxx views
GB News
Laurence Fox has said he has tested positive for coronavirus and is treating it with the controversial drug ivermectin.
The former London mayoral candidate and actor announced he had contracted the illness at the weekend, posting a picture of a positive lateral flow test on Twitter saying he felt "crap".
In other news, felt shivery and crap yesterday. Turns out I have been visited by Lord Covid at last and have the Omnicold (if the LFT is to be believed!) \n\nOn the #Ivermectin, saline nasal rinse, quercetin, paracetamol and ibruprofen.\n\nMore man flu than Wu-flu at the moment.pic.twitter.com/oYd7KaQAP9— Laurence Fox \u271d\ufe0f (@Laurence Fox \u271d\ufe0f) 1643534443
He wrote: “In other news, felt shivery and crap yesterday. Turns out I have been visited by Lord Covid at last and have the Omnicold (if the LFT is to be believed!) On the #Ivermectin, saline nasal rinse, quercetin, paracetamol and ibruprofen. More man flu than Wu-flu at the moment.”
Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic treatment used mainly on animals and for some parasitic worms in humans. It has not been proved an effective treatment for coronavirus.
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The FDA, for instance, has stated: “While there are approved uses for ivermectin in people and animals, it is not approved for the prevention or treatment of Covid-19”.
And other doctors have taken to Twitter to warn against its misuse:
So Laurence Fox has #COVID...\n\nI hope he gets over it. But the irony of:\n- getting a condition you haven't taken seriously\n- diagnosing using tests you don't believe in\n- using unapproved medication to treat it, despite stating that you rely on your immune system\n\nGurl...— Ranj Singh (@Ranj Singh) 1643568699
I wish Laurence Fox a very speedy recovery - but it\u2019s important to stress there is no clear evidence that Ivermectin (a horse de-wormer) reduces the risks of catching Covid, or its severity.\n\nWe do have excellent evidence-based Covid treatments, though.https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/jan/30/laurence-fox-has-coronavirus-and-taking-ivermectin?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other\u00a0\u2026— Rachel Clarke (@Rachel Clarke) 1643564460
Despite this, it has been peddled by the likes of Joe Rogan, who claimed he was using it when he tested positive for coronavirus in September 2021. US broadcaster Tucker Carlson had also promoted the drug on his Fox News show. Meanwhile, UFC president Dana White also claimed to have taken the drug after seeking advice from Rogan when he tested positive.
Fox had been a vocal campaigner against lockdowns and vaccines and used it as a key pillar of his mayoral campaign. He recently posted a photo of him wearing a top that said "no vaccine needed, I have an immune system" and he has even made an anti-mask version of a popular song, which didn't exactly go down well.
We hope he feels better soon anyway, though the ibuprofen will probably be more effective.
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