GOP State Lawmaker Has To Miss His Own Anti-Vaccine Mandate Rally After Contracting COVID-19

A North Dakota Republican state lawmaker has to miss his own anti-vaccine mandate rally after contracting COVID-19 himself.

Republican State Rep. Jeff Hoverson announced that he was "quarantining and each day is getting better" since becoming infected with the coronavirus.

Hoverson said he is using the horse dewormer Ivermectin, which has been promoted as a treatment for the virus by conservatives, to treat himself.

He also suggested that Ivermectin and hydroxycholoroquine, another disproven COVID-19 treatment, should be "OUR EARLY AMBULATORY CARE" for the virus.

Hoverson's diagnosis came ahead of a rally at North Dakota's statehouse to oppose federal vaccine mandates that he helped plan. Around 400 people attended the rally on Monday.

Hoverson is one of North Dakota's most far-right legislators. North Dakota's state legislature is currently considering two measures that would, if approved, curb vaccine mandates.

The news that Hoverson had come down with the coronavirus all while pushing back against vaccine mandates opened him up to criticism and mockery on social media.

Hoverson's pushback against vaccines and his promotion of disproven COVID-19 treatments are a further indication of former President Donald Trump's hold over the Republican Party, which has largely politicized public health efforts to curb the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Trump often promoted treatments that have not been shown to be effective in preventing or curing coronavirus infections.

Trump infamously endorsed using hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, while in office, even though doctors advised against it.

Ivermectin has not been shown to be effective in preventing or curing COVID-19 either.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised individuals to stop taking it after receiving reports that people had been hospitalized for using the drug.

In an official advisory, the FDA said that given the number of deaths that have been attributed to COVID-19, "it's perhaps not surprising that some consumers are looking at unconventional treatments, not approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."