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By Jenni Fink
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A Mississippi family won their fight to administer ivermectin to a relative who contracted COVID-19. However, the victory came too late as the family member died hours later.
Wayne Doyle, fire chief of Mississippi's Lowndes County District Volunteer Fire Department, passed away on Tuesday after a weeks-long battle with COVID-19. His family pursued legal action to include ivermectin, a controversial anti-parasitic drug, for his care plan and got the go-ahead to move him out of a hospital so that ivermectin could be administered, per WTVA.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ivermectin for certain uses but does not recommend using it to treat COVID-19. Although the drug has shown to be beneficial anecdotally, studies have been flawed and public health officials said there's no evidence to show ivermectin has significant benefits in COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
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Some have pushed back on the FDA's opposition to the drug over coronavirus treatment. Several people have cited the drug as being part of their at-home treatment plan and called for it to become part of the standard of care for COVID-19.
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Because the FDA hasn't authorized ivermectin in treating COVID-19, some hospitals are restricting the drug's use. Resistance towards ivermectin has prompted some families to file lawsuits in the hopes of forcing hospitals' hands in administering it to loved ones.
The lawsuits have yielded mixed results, with some judges ruling in favor of the families and others taking the side of the hospital.
Doyle had been on a ventilator for nearly two weeks during his battle with COVID-19, according to WCBI, as North Mississippi Health Services reportedly refused to administer ivermectin for him.
Doyle's family took the matter to the Lee County Chancery Court. On Tuesday, the two sides reached an agreement to allow Doyle to be transferred to another hospital if he was stable. The new hospital would then be able to administer ivermectin.
North Mississippi Health Services Chief Legal Officer Bruce Toppin told Newsweek the hospital doesn't comment on legal or patient care matters.
An obituary for Doyle confirmed the 62-year-old died on Tuesday at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. He served within the volunteer fire department for 40 years.
Lowndes County Fire Coordinator Neal Austin told WCBI that Doyle's death is a significant loss for the department. Austin said it's "hard to come by" someone who has 40 years of experience and the same level of drive to serve the community and fight fires that Doyle did, especially when a person isn't being paid for the work.
"This is volunteer work and to be dedicated for that long period of time says something about the character of a person," Austin said.
A flag was placed over Highway 45 to honor Doyle, per WCBI, and a procession escorted him to the funeral home on Tuesday night.
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