The popular US podcast host Joe Rogan has tested positive for Covid-19 and is taking a drug more commonly used as a veterinary deworming agent to treat it.
The standup comedian, who attracted controversy for suggesting the young and healthy should not get vaccinated, said he had been treated with ivermectin, which has not been approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The agency’s website says: “FDA has not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing Covid-19 in humans.
“Ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses for some parasitic worms, and there are topical (on the skin) formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. Ivermectin is not an antiviral (a drug for treating viruses). Taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm.”
Rogan, 54, named the drug among a series of medications he was using, including a vitamin drip, monoclonal antibodies and the steroid prednisone. It is not known whether he is vaccinated. After he faced a backlash over his vaccine comments, he later clarified: “I’m not an anti-vax person.”
He said he fell ill after returning from a show in Florida, a virus hotspot. He said he had a headache and was feeling “very weary” and run down.
Rogan told his 13.1 million Instagram followers he had isolated himself from his family and taken a Covid test, which was positive.
He had been touring with his show Joe Rogan: the Sacred Clown Tour and was scheduled to perform alongside the comedian Dave Chappelle in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday. That show had been postponed until October, he said.
His podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, was acquired by Spotify in 2020, reportedly for more than $100m (£72m).