Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan has revealed he contracted COVID-19 and is using a mix of treatments including Ivermectin, which experts strongly advise against.
Rogan announced news of his diagnosis on Instagram, where he said he "knew what was going on" when he started feeling weary and had fevers and sweats throughout one night.
The stand-up comedian and former Fear Factor host said he was tested the next morning and returned a positive result for coronavirus.
Rogan said he "threw the kitchen sink" at the virus, which for him meant taking a cocktail of drugs and vitamins, including "monoclonal antibodies (laboratory-made proteins), Ivermectin (an anti-parasite drug commonly used to treat horses), Z-Pak (an antibiotic) and Prednisone (an anti-inflammatory type of steroid)"
The 54-year-old said he also used a vitamin drip for three days in a row.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received multiple reports of people being hospitalised after using Ivermectin, which some people are falsely calling a "miracle cure" for COVID-19. The agency advises taking large doses of the drug is "dangerous" and can cause "serious harm" including allergic reactions, seizures, comas and even death.
While ivermectin is most commonly used as a horse wormer, it can be used safely on humans, although the WHO advises it should only be used to treat COVID-19 within clinical trials.
"And so, here we are on Wednesday, and I feel great," Rogan continued.
"I really only had one bad day. Sunday sucked... today I feel good."
The Joe Rogan Experience host also offered a "wonderful heartfelt thank you to modern medicine" for "pulling him out of this so quickly and easily", despite having been criticised by public health officials for spreading misinformation about vaccines.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the Chief Medical Advisor to US President Joe Biden, called out Rogan for being "incorrect" in advising 21-year-olds who eat well and exercise not to get vaccinated on his podcast.
Dr Fauci told The Today Show young people should "absolutely" get vaccinated because they were still at risk of contracting the virus and spreading it to others.
"So if you want to only worry about yourself and not society, then that's OK," Dr Fauci said at the time. "But if you're saying to yourself, 'Even if I get infected, I could do damage to somebody else, even if I have no symptoms at all,' and that's the reason why you've got to be careful and get vaccinated."
In arguing against children getting the COVID-19 shot, Rogan said it was "nothing" when his two young daughters contracted the virus earlier this year.
"I mean, I hate to say that if someone's children died from this. I'm very sorry that that happened. I'm not in any way diminishing that. But I'm saying the personal experience that my children had with COVID was nothing," he said on his podcast.
"But yet people still want you to get your child vaccinated, which is crazy to me," he added.
After prompting fierce backlash for his "irresponsible" remarks, Rogan backpedalled, insisting he was "not an anti-vax person", believing they were "safe" and "encouraging many people to take them".
Rogan, who has more than 13 million followers on Instagram and the number one most-streamed podcast on Spotify, also clarified he was "not a doctor", instead dubbing himself "a f**king moron".
"I'm a cage fighting commentator... I'm not a respected source of information, even for me. But I at least try to be honest about what I'm saying," he said.
In June 2020, Rogan was put on blast by comedian Bill Burr on The Joe Rogan Experience when the UFC commentator declared "masks are for bitches".
"Oh God, you're so tough with your f**king open nose and throat," Burr responded sarcastically. "This is a man right here, a man doesn't wear a mask."
Note: This article was updated on September 3 when the words "unapproved horse wormer" were removed from the opening sentence, and an additional sentence was added confirming the drug can safely be used on humans.
