Joe Rogan Says He Has COVID-19 And Has Taken The Drug Ivermectin – NPR

Joe Rogan has told his Instagram followers he has been taking ivermectin, a deworming veterinary drug formulated for use in cows and horses, to help fight the coronavirus. The Food and Drug Administration has warned against taking the medication, saying animal doses of the drug can cause nausea, vomiting and in some cases severe hepatitis. Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images hide caption

Joe Rogan has told his Instagram followers he has been taking ivermectin, a deworming veterinary drug formulated for use in cows and horses, to help fight the coronavirus. The Food and Drug Administration has warned against taking the medication, saying animal doses of the drug can cause nausea, vomiting and in some cases severe hepatitis.

Joe Rogan, the mega-popular podcast host who has suggested that young, fit people don't need to get the COVID-19 vaccine, has announced he tested positive for the virus, but is feeling fine thanks to a cocktail of unproven medical treatments.

In an Instagram video, the 54-year-old host of The Joe Rogan Experience, said he felt "very weary" on Saturday and got tested for the coronavirus the following day.

"Throughout the night I got fevers, sweats, and I knew what was going on," Rogan told his 13.1 million followers.

After the diagnosis, he said he "immediately threw the kitchen sink at it."

His methods included taking ivermectin, a deworming veterinary drug that is formulated for use in cows and horses. While a version of the drug is sometimes prescribed to people for head lice or skin conditions, the formula for animal use is much more concentrated. The Food and Drug administration is urging people to stop ingesting the animal version of the drug to fight COVID-19, warning it can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, neurologic disorders and potentially severe hepatitis requiring hospitalization.

Rogan added that his treatments also included monoclonal antibodies, Z-pack antibiotics and a vitamin drip for "three days in a row."

"Here we are on Wednesday, and I feel great," he said.

Rogan has won legions of dedicated listeners by courting controversy on his show. In October, he came under fire for interviewing far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his Spotify show. More recently, he faced criticism after saying that young and otherwise healthy people don't need a COVID-19 vaccine.

"People say, do you think it's safe to get vaccinated? I've said, yeah, I think for the most part it's safe to get vaccinated. I do. I do," Rogan said in an April 28 episode of the podcast.

"But if you're like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I'll go no. Are you healthy? Are you a healthy person?"

Rogan continued, "If you're a healthy person, and you're exercising all the time, and you're young, and you're eating well, like, I don't think you need to worry about this."

He later explained he is not "an anti-vax person" and joked he is not "a respected source of information, even for me."

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Joe Rogan Says He Has COVID-19 And Has Taken The Drug Ivermectin - NPR