FAIRFIELD TWP., Ohio — A Fairfield Township man whose wife sued for the right to treat him with Ivermectin has lost his battle with COVID-19.
Jeffrey Smith died on Sept. 25, according to Webster Funeral Home.
Smith's case was in the national spotlight after a court order allowed him treatment with the drug at UC West Chester for 14 days.
Later, a second judge, Judge Michael Oster, ruled the hospital could not be forced to give Smith Ivermectin. In his decision, Oster wrote, "scientific communities do not support the use of Ivermectin as a treatment for COVID19."
Smith's family declined to speak to WCPO, but his obituary says family and friends will miss his "smile," "advice" and "sense of humor."
Smith was admitted to the hospital in July and put on a ventilator in August.
During a court hearing, his wife, Julie Smith, said she wanted her husband to have Ivermectin because it gave her hope.
"It just gave me hope that was something to try," she said. "That I didn't have to sit there and let him just die."
The FDA has not authorized Ivermectin to treat COVID in humans or animals. However, there are multiple clinical trials ongoing to test its effectiveness, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The CDC has warned against using the drug as a treatment for COVID, saying it's not an anti-viral drug and could have consequences if not used correctly.
Many have asked for the drug anyway over the past few months.
"Any loss of life, any death from COVID-19 , is something we consider to be tragic," Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff with the Ohio Department of Health said.
Dr. Vanderhoff noted that there are other treatments that are approved for use, but says the best option, for now, is vaccination.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for Smith's medical bills. You can view that here.
