...after telling young listeners they needn't get vaccinated

Comedian Joe Rogan – who has advised some of his podcast listeners against getting the Covid vaccine – has tested positive for the virus.

The stand-up has cancelled a show after displaying mild symptoms.

He said he has taken drugs to combat it, including ivermectin – a dewormer that many on the right of American politics have heralded as a treatment.

However the Food And Drug Administration has warned it is unproven and unsafe, with many reports of people being hospitalised after taking tablets intended for livestock.

In a video posted online, Rogan said: ‘I got back from the road Saturday night feeling very weary. I had a headache, and I just felt just run down. 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.’

‘We immediately threw the kitchen sink at it: all kinds of meds. Monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, Z-pack, prednisone – everything. Crazy times we’re living in, but a wonderful, heartfelt thank you to modern medicine for pulling us out so quickly and easily.’

Rogan, whose podcast reaches an estimated, 11 million listeners, has faced criticism for suggesting young people need not get vaccinated against Covid.

He told listeners: ‘If you’re a healthy person and you’re exercising all the time and you’re young and you’re eating well, I don’t think you need to worry about this.’

However that advice overlooks the herd immunity needed to stop the virus spreading in the community.

Rogan has not stated publicly whether he received a Covid vaccine.

Published: 2 Sep 2021