Positive for Covid-19, podcaster Joe Rogan is controversial with inadvisable treatment

Less known in France, Joe Rogan is ultra-influential with his podcast in the United States. Already criticized for claiming that young people did not need to be vaccinated against Covid-19, the American comedian, listened to by ten million people every week, announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, and had taken ivermectin, an antiparasitic popular in some circles despite the lack of evidence of its effectiveness against the virus. This earned him to be pinned by Instagram, which recalls that according to the American health authorities, this drug can be dangerous.

Joe Rogan told on Instagram that he had tested positive after showing moderate symptoms of the disease upon returning from a trip to Florida, hit by an increase in cases caused by the highly contagious Delta variant. He added that he had taken a cocktail of drugs to treat himself, including treatment with monoclonal antibodies, a vitamin infusion and ivermectin. Like hydoxychloroquine at the start of the pandemic, ivermectin has its staunch supporters despite the lack of evidence of its effectiveness. Widely used to treat horses, it exists in a less concentrated version for humans. But the FDA recalls that this drug can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and in rare cases be fatal if it interacts with other substances.

$ 100 million contract

His very popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience regularly welcomes other actors as well as intellectuals, journalists and athletes to talk about all subjects, from flying saucers to psychedelic drugs to fitness. It was at his side that Elon Musk, in particular had smoked a joint live, terrifying Tesla’s board.

Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify for $ 100 million, according to news reports. But he regularly attracts criticism, accused of offering a platform for conspiracy theories and disinformation. Joe Rogan has been publicly berated by the White House this year for suggesting that young people do not need to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

“If you’re like 21 and you ask me ‘should I get vaccinated?’ I would say ‘no'”, he said. “If you’re healthy and exercise all the time and you’re young and eat well, I don’t think you need to worry about that.” Joe Rogan, who claims to be a libertarian, has not publicly explained whether or not he had been vaccinated against the virus.

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