Joe Rogan has tested positive for COVID-19.
Rogan, who is on tour, shared the news with fans on Instagram as he explained why he needs to reschedule Friday’s show in Nashville. The popular podcast host, who has drawn criticism for prior remarks about vaccines, said he started feeling sick on Saturday.
“Feeling very weary, I had a headache and I just felt just rundown. Just to be cautious I separated from my family, slept in a different part of the house and throughout the night, I got fevers and sweats and I knew what was going on. I got up in the morning, I got tested and it turns out I got COVID,” Rogan revealed in a video.
The 54-year-old UFC commentator said he immediately started “all kinds of meds,” including ivermectin. The drug is typically used in the U.S. to treat or prevent parasitic worms in animals. The FDA has not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans. Rogan also mentioned using a monoclonal antibody treatment, Z-Pak, the steroid prednisone, NAD drip and vitamin drip.
“Here we are on Wednesday and I feel great. I really only had one bad day, Sunday sucked,” Rogan continued. “Today I feel good. I actually feel pretty f***ing good.”
Rogan concluded by giving “a wonderful, heartfelt thank you to modern medicine for pulling me out of this so quickly and easily.”
View this post on Instagram
There is only one FDA-approved drug, remdesivir, that is used to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. The FDA issued emergency use authorization for several monoclonal antibody treatments for people over age 12 who are at high risk for hospitalization.
The Joe Rogan Experience host stirred controversy this year for suggesting young, healthy people don’t need the COVID-19 vaccine. President Joe Biden’s administration criticized Rogan for his comments.
Spotify’s Joe Rogan encourages “healthy” young people not to get a coronavirus vaccine. His show is Spotify’s most popular podcast.
“If you’re like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I’ll go no.” pic.twitter.com/5dX98xUaHS
— Alex Paterson (@AlexPattyy) April 27, 2021
Rogan ruffled feathers again last month when he slammed vaccine mandates.
“I have a problem because I have a show there in Madison Square Garden in October, and I’ve already sold 13,000 tickets,” Rogan said. “And now they say that everybody has to be vaccinated and I want everybody to know that you can get your money back.”
Rogan added, “If someone has an ideological or physiological reason for not getting vaccinated, I don’t want to force them to get vaccinated to see a f****ing stupid comedy show.”
Extra Does This News Matter
Why it matters: Rogan is one of the most influential podcast personalities in the world. In the past, some of his more controversial comments have been criticized and have put Spotify, Rogan’s exclusive podcast distributor, in an awkward position.
- Rogan did not make any mention of the vaccine in his announcement.
Driving the news: Rogan came under fire in April for saying that young people did not need to get vaccinated, a statement that was rebuked by White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci.
- The podcast host then walked back his comment, saying that he is “not a respected source of information.”
What he’s saying: “Throughout the night I got fevers, sweats, and I knew what was going on,” Rogan said, adding that he isolated himself from his family once he suspected it could be the virus.
- He also thanked “modern medicine” for “pulling me out of this so quickly and easily.”
- The personality performed “Joe Rogan: The Sacred Clown Tour” in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, just before he fell ill.
