Glenn Beck says he has COVID-19 for second time

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the nature of the anti-parasitic medication ivermectin.

Conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Wednesday said he’d contracted COVID-19 for the second time and that the virus was “getting into” his lungs.

Speaking to Mark Levin on Levin’s radio show, Beck said he’s had the virus for about a week. He told Levin he was “great, except having COVID and seeing the destruction of our country.”

Beck said this was a “lighter case, but it’s now starting to go into my lungs today, which is a little disturbing,” adding, “I’m on all the medications and treatments and everything else, so we’ll see.” 

Beck told Tucker Carlson in April that he previously had COVID-19 and because of that he would not be getting vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone, even those who have previously contracted the virus, get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

“Those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than 2 times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery,” the CDC says.

Beck told Levin he was not being treated with monoclonal antibodies, some of which are less effective against the omicron strain of the virus, but was instead taking ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and fluvoxamine — none of which are approved coronavirus treatments — and that his doctors were “hitting it really hard.” 

The two went on to discuss unproven medical claims about the drugs, with Beck claiming that it was “basic science.” 

Beck posted about his second positive test on Instagram as well, calling it “just the worst ‘cold’ I have ever had” and lamenting the lack of accessibility to unapproved treatments, some of which were heavily touted by former President Trump and his allies.

Beck told Levin he is “not concerned” about his infection, adding that he is “so done with this whole COVID thing” and that “we have got to move on with our lives.” 

He also joked that he was “a fatty-fat-fatso” and said “that’s probably not the best thing,” while also noting “I’ve got some other issues.”  

Several studies have shown two of the most commonly used monoclonal antibodies are ineffective against the omicron variant, leaving only one monoclonal treatment, made by GlaxoSmithKline, available for high-risk patients. 

Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic medication. It is not approved to treat COVID-19, and after widespread reports that people were attempting to use the form of the drug intended for livestock to treat or prevent coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration issued warnings against using it unless prescribed by a doctor.

Similarly, the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has been found ineffective against COVID-19 by the National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization has warned against its use in treating COVID-19.  

The antidepressant fluvoxamine is currently still being researched for potential treatment opportunities, and a doctor requested in December for its emergency use authorization.

The Hill has reached out to Beck’s team for comment.

—Updated Friday at 9:52 a.m.