Vaccine critic podcast host Joe Rogan has Covid-19

Prominent vaccine sceptic Joe Rogan has announced he has tested positive for Covid.

The 54-year-old host of the Joe Rogan Experience said he “immediately threw the kitchen sink” at treating the virus with an unproven cocktail of drugs, including cow and horse dewormer Ivermectin–which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warn can cause neurological disorders in humans.

In an Instagram video Rogan said he felt “very weary” on Saturday and got tested the following day.

“Throughout the night I got fevers, sweats, and I knew what was going on,” Rogan told his 13.1 million followers. He isolated himself from the rest of his family by sleeping in another room in his house.

Rogan said 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.

His diagnosis sparked a Twitter storm with some mocking the podcaster for initially being dismissive of the virus whilst others said his recovery had proven the vaccine was unnecessary.

It comes after the former Fear Factor presenter dismissed the need for young, fit people to get vaccinated, in an April 28 episode of the podcast.

“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.

“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?”

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

In an attempt to back down from the position Rogan later said: “I’m not an anti-vax person.

“I believe they’re safe and encourage many people to take them.” He joked that he is not “a respected source of information, even for me.”

Asked about Rogan’s comments, top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci repeated guidance from experts that unvaccinated, asymptomatic people can still transmit Covid-19.

“Even if you don’t have any symptoms, you’re propagating the outbreak,” Dr Fauci said.

His podcast was acquired by Spotify last year for more than $100m (£77m).