Is it possible that the insistence in some corners that Ivermectin helps COVID despite (at best) conflicting, low quality results be the political science in this particular case?
I think it is almost certain that politics have played a significant role in evaluating ivermectin in both directions. I do agree that some people have reacted viscerally against the obvious and repeated lies being told about ivermectin and its proponents by more strongly tying themselves to its efficacy. I certainly wouldn't want to be the one who had to try and defend scientific purity and righteousness when it comes any evaluation of COVID treatments or policies.
I agree that it has a pretty solid safety history, and if you and your Dr. want to include it as a "kitchen sink" drug regimen, that should be between you and your Dr.,
You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, dogmush. Stop it.
but I see no vast suppression conspiracy among the medical folks that actually research these things. As always, the media tends to hew more to a narrative.
You phrased your statement very carefully, and I agree that there is not likely to be a "vast suppression conspiracy among the medical folks that actually research these things."
That said, there has without a doubt been a widespread, effective, and seemingly coordinated campaign against ivermectin - not focused on its lack of efficacy, but it's safety and appropriateness as a medication for humans at all. I have had reasonable, intelligent people who learned about ivermectin primarily from traditional sources tell me that they were shocked when they finally found out that ivermectin was not just a veterinary medicine, but regularly prescribed to people. Certainly this is being executed by the media (news and otherwise), but even the FDA has gotten in on that game.
So while I agree that the researchers themselves aren't likely the
source of the single-minded media narrative branding it as strictly horse dewormer, mocking people who use it, etc., I'm also not convinced that they (or their potential test subjects) are completely immune to being impacted by the cultural campaign of disinformation and lies.
This campaign may not be so much intended to be anti-ivermectin but in service of the monotheistic worship of the COVID vaccine as the One True Way and the fear that if people believe there are other possible treatments they won't jump on the COVID vaccine bandwagon.
Again, I'm not convinced that ivermectin is the best answer, or even a good answer to COVID, but I am acutely aware that the campaign against it was not in any way based on science.