United
States—Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was questioned during a hearing related to the
U.S. government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic about his statements
regarding the ineffectiveness of ivermectin as a treatment against the virus.
During the
questioning, he was confronted with studies that report benefits of ivermectin
in indicators such as mortality, hospitalization, viral load, and recovery time
for COVID-19 patients.
In response
to this questioning, Fauci again invoked the Fifth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution to refrain from answering these questions. Invoking this
constitutional provision constitutes a legal right that protects a person from
testifying if they believe their answers could incriminate them.
It was also
recalled that during the pandemic, authorities, guided by Dr. Fauci, advised
against the use of ivermectin to prioritize the application of vaccines or
therapies authorized for emergency use.
The debate
surrounding the decisions made during the pandemic, the available treatments,
and the actions of public health officials, led by Fauci, continues to generate
conflicting opinions in both the scientific and political spheres.