National Citizen’s Inquiry: Psychiatrist Criticizes Lack of Emphasis on Treatment During Pandemic

A health worker shows a bottle of Ivermectin as part of a study of the Center for Paediatric Infectious Diseases Studies, in Cali, Colombia, on July 21, 2020. Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images

On the second day of the National Citizen’s Inquiry’s (NCI) stop in British Columbia, a psychiatrist questioned the lack of emphasis governments and public health authorities placed on potential treatments for COVID-19, instead focusing on the creation and distribution of vaccines.

“I have absolutely no idea why our government and our public health people did not pursue a treatment research regime while they were attempting to do vaccines. It makes no sense at all,” said Dr. Greg Passey, who specializes in treating first responders who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The NCI describes itself as a “citizen-led and citizen-funded initiative that is completely independent from government.” The inquiry is examining how the pandemic measures put in place by all levels of government impacted Canadians in the four categories of health, fundamental rights and freedoms, social well-being, and economic prosperity.

Passey told the commission that despite receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, he was infected with COVID-19 for the second time in January 2021. Three days after becoming sick, Passey treated himself with ivermectin, vitamins B6, C, and D, and low-dose aspirin, which was a protocol recommended by the United States’ Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance.

Health Canada said ivermectin has been authorized in Canada for human use for the treatment of parasitic worm infections, but there is “no evidence” that it works to prevent or treat COVID-19 and it has not been authorized for that use.

“Prescription drugs should be taken only under the advice and supervision of a healthcare professional. Patients taking prescription drugs without being examined and monitored by a healthcare practitioner may not receive the appropriate treatment to maintain and protect their health. They may also put themselves at risk for drug interactions or harmful side effects,” Health Canada said in an email on May 5.

Passey said he made a “full recovery” within 24 hours of the treatment, but he was not allowed to speak about it or recommend it to patients.

“We were suppressed, we were censored, and I was not allowed to talk about my experience,” he said.

The doctor said no levels of government or public health experts—except for a “few brave doctors”—discussed putting research into treatments for COVID-19, despite successful and cheap treatments for HIV having been created a few decades earlier.

Passey claimed the public health officers “surrendered to the government’s narrative” around COVID-19 vaccines, and that political science “overshadowed and suppressed” medical science.

Ivermectin

Passey also criticized the Canadian government and medical authorities for preventing doctors from prescribing ivermectin off-label to patients suffering from COVID-19. Passey said there are some antipsychotic drugs that doctors are allowed to prescribe to patients for PTSD off-label, even though “there’s no research on it.”

Passey said the regulatory colleges of physicians will often allow doctors to prescribe medication off-label, but during the pandemic, ivermectin—which has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties—was not allowed to be given out.

“It’s safer than Tylenol or ibuprofen. Nobody’s ever died of an ivermectin overdose, ever, but people have died from Tylenol and ibuprofen. It continues to astound me,” Passey said.

Besides Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also said Ivermectin shouldn’t be used to treat COVID-19, and the World Health Organization has said it should only be used for clinical trials.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from Health Canada.