"America's Front Line Doctors" scamming people out of money for Ivermectin and more

[KSera]

TIME just published an investigative report on AFLD (SImone Gold's group that's spent the pandemic pedaling conspiracy theories), showing how they are making money off pushing ivermectin, which they often don't even deliver. This in addtion to conferences they advertise and don't show up for and legal advice they promise and then don't provide.

How 'America's Frontline Doctors' Sold Access to Bogus COVID-19 Treatments—and Left Patients in the Lurch

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A week later, he was still anxiously waiting for the consultation. Calls and emails to AFLD went unreturned, he says. Finally, he called his bank to report a fraudulent charge. “Not even an apology,” Mike, whom TIME is referring to using a pseudonym because of his concerns about his job, told TIME in an interview. “This is absolutely nuts. This organization is not helping anyone but their pocketbooks.”

Similar stories have flooded anti-vaccine forums and messaging apps in recent weeks as some customers and donors raise doubts about AFLD. The group describes itself as a “non-partisan” group of medical professionals. But it originated as a right-wing political organization, and since its founding has consistently spread medical misinformation. Its name implies the group consists of physicians on the frontlines of the pandemic, but it’s not clear how many of its members have spent any time treating patients with COVID-19.

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Several supporters said they were defying employer vaccine mandates based on information and advice from AFLD. “I hope you guys are right,” a user named Jeffery posted on Aug. 20 in response to a video from the group promising to fight vaccine mandates in court. “I’m about to lose my career of over 20 years, my pension and my livelihood because I’m not taking the shot.” Others say their employers laughed off the vaccine-exemption forms they’ve printed off the AFLD website. “I am losing hope,” wrote one user named Cathy on July 6. “I just spoke with a lawyer that said the proof from Frontline Doctors is a conspiracy theory.”

The pleas of customers who trusted the group have often grown desperate. “Does anyone know how long it takes to hear back from America’s Frontline Doctors about getting Covid medicine?” asked a user who said she was pregnant and having chest pain and shortness of breath from the virus. “It seems like I’ll never hear back from them in my worst moment of need.”

 

[Murphy101]

7 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

Not surprised to hear this. Abby Johnson, the "pro-life" activist, claimed on Twitter that she had COVID and got invermectin from them. I noticed responses where people tweeted that they had tried contacting these quacks with no response. Abby Johnson has a lot of Twitter followers so she got her meds. Ordinary people without followers are on their own. 

 

Sickening.

[chiguirre]

On the plus side, if people can't get Ivermectin from these guys, it might encourage them to go to a local doctor or urgent care where they will at least get breathing treatments and a referral for Regeneron. AFLD might be saving lives with their failure to provide the services they charged for.

The guy who is about to lose his job and pension (who I suspect is military) still has time to swallow his pride and get the shot. He may be angry, but at least he won't be clogging up an ICU waiting to die.

[Soror]

7 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

Not surprised to hear this. Abby Johnson, the "pro-life" activist, claimed on Twitter that she had COVID and got invermectin from them. I noticed responses where people tweeted that they had tried contacting these quacks with no response. Abby Johnson has a lot of Twitter followers so she got her meds. Ordinary people without followers are on their own. 

 

Or maybe they just paid her to say that. 

[Danae]

13 minutes ago, chiguirre said:

On the plus side, if people can't get Ivermectin from these guys, it might encourage them to go to a local doctor or urgent care where they will at least get breathing treatments and a referral for Regeneron. AFLD might be saving lives with their failure to provide the services they charged for.

The guy who is about to lose his job and pension (who I suspect is military) still has time to swallow his pride and get the shot. He may be angry, but at least he won't be clogging up an ICU waiting to die.

You’d think.  Unfortunately it seems to have led to Facebook groups sharing recipes for making the livestock versions (which are a gel/paste form, not a pill) a regular part of your diet.

[TravelingChris]

And there are reports of people getting poisoned by invermectin all over the place.  What I can't understand is why people think that is a benign drug???? It is well known to cause neurological issues in pets- a few of mine over the years have been affected- temporarily, but I wouldn't want that side effect anyway. 

If the idiots want to do off-labeling, how about using some famatodine- which is over the counter and safe at 40mg (over the counter dose is 10mg).  Or how about even better- get the vaccines, and if you get sick, try to get medical help======(and I say try, because dd2 is having desperate tries to get her breathing under control with no help from medical staffing-  she doesn't have COVID, she doesn't have a blood clot, she doesn't have pneumonia, she has bad asthma, and needs high steroids for a while.

[ktgrok]

16 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

and I say try, because dd2 is having desperate tries to get her breathing under control with no help from medical staffing-  she doesn't have COVID, she doesn't have a blood clot, she doesn't have pneumonia, she has bad asthma, and needs high steroids for a while.

I'd be tempted to find the oldest doctor I could find - old school docs will usually be more willing to do a steroid burst at high dose, then taper. (true of vets as well, lol)

I know steroids have a serous downside, but as someone who had childhood asthma (that I luckily outgrew), I remember how scary it is and how helpful a high quick round of steroids could be. Hit hard and early was my pediatricians approach and my mom (a nurse) was very grateful, as was I.  (assuming normal measures are not working - obviously minor issues are better treated with inhaled low dose steroids, etc)

[TravelingChris]

3 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I'd be tempted to find the oldest doctor I could find - old school docs will usually be more willing to do a steroid burst at high dose, then taper. (true of vets as well, lol)

I know steroids have a serous downside, but as someone who had childhood asthma (that I luckily outgrew), I remember how scary it is and how helpful a high quick round of steroids could be. Hit hard and early was my pediatricians approach and my mom (a nurse) was very grateful, as was I.  (assuming normal measures are not working - obviously minor issues are better treated with inhaled low dose steroids, etc)

Yes, my concierge doctor is an old school doctor and I am telling her to call this morning and go to him.   He does things like shines a light to see if your sinuses are clogged.  

[kiwik]

I can't see why sheep dip is a good way to treat a virus.  Incredibly toxic sheep dip.

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, kiwik said:

I can't see why sheep dip is a good way to treat a virus.  Incredibly toxic sheep dip.

I know, right! The Tractor Supply Company and Family Farm and Fleet all within 13 miles of my house cannot keep ivermectin on the shelf. They have never seen anything like it. I was in TSC the other day for my dog's food - couldn't get it for curbside pick up. I noticed that they were wiped out of ivermectin and asked the manager. Yup. Nutters stockpiling it. He is considering putting it behind the customer service counter and requiring people to show proof, via a veterinarian or ferrier receipt, that the customer actually owns a horse or other livestock!

America sure has a much too large a group of idiots. My fear is they are taking it home to feed their kids! Poison control is getting a lot of calls. We may have to build orphanages because these parents really just need to go to jail.

I used to own an American Paint mare. Lady took her meds like a champ, but I sure as neck watched her closely for a couple days after her doses. This stuff can have some bad side effects, every horse owner knows that. 

Staggers.the.imagination.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Faith-manor

[sangtarah]

I have a mare with a large hay belly and I’m suspecting she needs to be dewormed. I hope there is something left to give her! 

Edited August 27, 2021 by sangtarah
typo

[ktgrok]

I'm just going to say....if a doctor says that diseases are caused by demon sperm during dream sex, it is not wise to give that doctor access to your bank account. 

[Faith-manor]

18 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I'm just going to say....if a doctor says that diseases are caused by demon sperm during dream sex, it is not wise to give that doctor access to your bank account. 

Yes. But I think at the point at which someone is willing to even entertain the notion of taking over the counter horse meds, they have checked their brains entirely at the door.

[Faith-manor]

22 minutes ago, sangtarah said:

I have a mare with a large hay belly and I’m suspecting she needs to be dewormed. I hope there’s is something left to give her! 

Oy! I hope so too. But man, if you are in my area, you will have to steal it from a nutter unless the manager really do go put any new stock behind the counter.

[KSera]

4 hours ago, chiguirre said:

On the plus side, if people can't get Ivermectin from these guys, it might encourage them to go to a local doctor or urgent care where they will at least get breathing treatments and a referral for Regeneron. AFLD might be saving lives with their failure to provide the services they charged for.

That’s the general sentiment I’m seeing as regards this mess. 

1 hour ago, sangtarah said:

I have a mare with a large hay belly and I’m suspecting she needs to be dewormed. I hope there’s is something left to give her! 

I expect it depends on your area. My oldest was in buying dewormer for their horse a few days ago, and I asked if there were signs by the ivermectin or low supply, but they said everything was normal in the dewormer aisle.  No signs. Plenty of stock. The feed store is in a highly vaccinated, high education level area. Would be curious if she’d gone to the one in the other direction (we straddle a stark vaccination drop line) if it would be different. Hope your mare is doing better soon!