Joe Rogan Under Fire For Testing Guests For COVID-19

April 20th, 2020 - 2:12 PM EDT by Matt Schimkowitz

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joe rogan in a black shirt on the left, a pink covid-19 test on the right, a tweet in the center that reads Must be nice to get access to the Coronavirus test at will. I have had friends and their children who have been ill with flu systems & high tempera

Joe Rogan has long-been a source for controversy online, but it rarely comes from his loyal army of supporters. Yet, after revealing that doctors tested him multiple times for the coronavirus, many of his fans have lashed out over his access to the tests.

Speaking with fellow standup comedian Chris D'Elia, Rogan admitted to receiving two tests for COVID-19 in the last week. The comment comes amid a national shortage of testing kits in the United States, contributing to stay-at-home orders from municipalities across the country.

"I got tested yesterday, and I got tested two days before that,” said Joe Rogan. “I’m just going to test myself every three or four days.”

D'Elia elaborated on Rogan's access to COVID-19 testing in an interview with BUILD, during which he mentioned that Rogan had been paying for the tests. Shocked to hear that Rogan had D'Elia tested, interviewer Rick Camillieri asked, "How is Joe Rogan's podcast getting tests?" D'Elia responded, Well, because Joe's paying for is that's why […] Joe's basically Bruce Wayne."


Many fans of the podcast took offense to the news, expressing frustration at Rogan for not only having access to tests but also for testing so frequently.

The test used by Rogan, however, is not the F.D.A.-approved nasal testing kit, which has been in short supply in the U.S. These at-home tests check for the presence of antibodies, according to the Daily Dot, and cost $299 for any Los Angeles residents willing to pay.

Rogan has been providing guests with tests for at least the last week. Before the controversy took hold of the fanbase, comedian Ryan Swaggart tweeted about the test.

Some have pointed to the test as a defense of Rogan, stating that those mad at the podcaster should focus their anger toward the U.S. government for not providing more widespread testing.

The controversy comes just over a month after the coronavirus lockdown swept the United States, shining a light on the gap between care received by wealthy people and the general public. While testing has been scarce for many in the United States, celebrities were among the first to receive checks for COVID-19, despite not necessarily showing symptoms.



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