A Fairfield Township woman continued her fight Thursday to try and keep her husband alive.Jeffrey Smith, 51, is in the intensive care unit at UC West Chester Hospital. Smith was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 9. He was admitted into the hospital six days later and has been on a ventilator for 33 days.His wife, Julie Smith, wants him to be treated with the controversial drug Ivermectin.Doctors at the hospital have refused to treat him with the drug. Last month, Julie Smith got a temporary order from Butler County Common Pleas Judge Gregory Howard. He ordered doctors to administer the drug, but that order only lasted 14 days.Thursday, Julie Smith and attorneys for UC West Chester returned to court to argue the case again. This time in front of Judge Michael Oster.Julie Smith said despite her husband being treated with Remdesivir, steroids and plasma, his condition continued to decline. She said she read articles in other cases where COVID-19 patients’ conditions reportedly improved after being given Ivermectin. “It just gave me hope there was something to try, that I didn’t just have to sit there and let him die. That I could fight,” Julie Smith said.Even after getting a prescription from Dr. Fred Wagshul, a pulmonologist out of Centerville, doctors and UC West Chester refused to treat Jeffrey Smith with Ivermectin.They only did so after they were court-ordered, but since it was a temporary order, the case was back in court. The hospital continues to fight the treatment.”Numerous health organizations including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned against using Ivermectin as a treatment for COVID 19,” said Charles Galvin, attorney for UC West Chester. “The court ordered this hospital to use a suspect, experimental, off label and discouraged treatment without any competent medical evidence.” Attorneys for the Smiths argued Ivermectin appears to be working on Jeffrey Smith. “Over the last three days, his vent setting has dropped. Before Ivermectin, his vent setting was at 100 percent. His vent setting has now dropped to 50 percent,” said Ralph Lorigo, Smiths’ attorney.Judge Oster has not ruled on the case. He asked all parties to return to court Friday morning at 9 a.m.
A Fairfield Township woman continued her fight Thursday to try and keep her husband alive.
Jeffrey Smith, 51, is in the intensive care unit at UC West Chester Hospital. Smith was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 9. He was admitted into the hospital six days later and has been on a ventilator for 33 days.
His wife, Julie Smith, wants him to be treated with the controversial drug Ivermectin.
Doctors at the hospital have refused to treat him with the drug.
Last month, Julie Smith got a temporary order from Butler County Common Pleas Judge Gregory Howard. He ordered doctors to administer the drug, but that order only lasted 14 days.
Thursday, Julie Smith and attorneys for UC West Chester returned to court to argue the case again. This time in front of Judge Michael Oster.
Julie Smith said despite her husband being treated with Remdesivir, steroids and plasma, his condition continued to decline. She said she read articles in other cases where COVID-19 patients’ conditions reportedly improved after being given Ivermectin.
“It just gave me hope there was something to try, that I didn’t just have to sit there and let him die. That I could fight,” Julie Smith said.
Even after getting a prescription from Dr. Fred Wagshul, a pulmonologist out of Centerville, doctors and UC West Chester refused to treat Jeffrey Smith with Ivermectin.
They only did so after they were court-ordered, but since it was a temporary order, the case was back in court. The hospital continues to fight the treatment.
“Numerous health organizations including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned against using Ivermectin as a treatment for COVID 19,” said Charles Galvin, attorney for UC West Chester. “The court ordered this hospital to use a suspect, experimental, off label and discouraged treatment without any competent medical evidence.”
Attorneys for the Smiths argued Ivermectin appears to be working on Jeffrey Smith.
“Over the last three days, his vent setting has dropped. Before Ivermectin, his vent setting was at 100 percent. His vent setting has now dropped to 50 percent,” said Ralph Lorigo, Smiths’ attorney.
Judge Oster has not ruled on the case. He asked all parties to return to court Friday morning at 9 a.m.