Longtime Fox News anchor John Roberts is currently dealing with a serious case of malaria.
Speaking with PEOPLE Magazine, the 68-year-old spoke about his health scare and how he learned that he had been diagnosed with the disease spread by mosquitoes on Monday, August 25.
“I had been hurting from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. Literally everywhere. I was also beset with uncontrolled shivering all during my show,” he tells PEOPLE. “Initially, I thought it was just muscle cramps and aches. But when I started shivering, I started to lean toward the flu.”
Roberts says he “knew it was bad” when his blood work showed that his platelets and white blood cells were both low. “My rheumatologist told me to go to the ER,” he recalls.
Once hospitalized, Roberts received the official diagnosis. “I thought, ‘Of course you have malaria… You never do anything in small measures.’ But I was a little scared,” he admits. “Malaria can be deadly if left unchecked.”
“I don’t know exactly how ‘severe’ it was from a medical classification, but it sure felt severe,” he adds. “I have never felt that sick in my life.”
Roberts thinks he got the disease while on vacation in Indonesia. He stayed there for two weeks and came back in early August. He doesn’t remember being bitten, but about 10 days after getting home, he started to feel sick.
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes and is most common in tropical or subtropical areas. People who get it often have fevers, headaches, chills, aches and pains in their muscles, and feeling tired. They may also have stomach problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Most of the time, symptoms show up between one week and one month after contact.
Roberts was given IV artesunate while he was in the hospital. This is the standard treatment for serious malaria in the US, and Roberts calls it a “big gun” for getting rid of parasites.
“Yesterday [Aug. 27] was a down day,” he admits. “I felt horrible all day. I also have wild swings in temperature every hour. I’ll be shivering and shaking like a leaf… the next I’ll be sweating.”
Roberts is expected to return to work on Tuesday, September 2.
In his first social media post about his diagnosis, Roberts thanks Trace Gallagher for filling in as Sandra Smith’s co-anchor on America Reports while he was sick.
“I somehow came down with a severe case of Malaria,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I can honestly say that I am the only person in the hospital with Malaria. In fact, one of my doctors said I’m the first case he has ever seen. Thanks to the folks at @InovaHealth for their expertise and compassion…!”
Dr. Jeffrey Horelick weighed in on the news with some information on the severity of malaria.
“I am no stranger to malaria myself, specifically Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest strain, notorious for causing severe complications like cerebral malaria, organ failure, and high mortality rates, particularly in sub Saharan Africa. In 1988, during a two-and-a-half-week photography trip with my parents and sister through Northeast Africa Kenya and nearby regions, I was bitten by a mosquito,” Horelick wrote on X.
“By the time I returned home, my condition deteriorated rapidly. Distrustful of the medical system, I delayed seeking treatment a grave mistake. The parasites overwhelmed my body, and I was in critical condition by the time I was admitted to Great Neck North Hospital on Long Island. My recovery took a grueling month. The experience was miserable; a steady stream of doctors from surrounding areas visited my room, eager to observe the rare, full blown effects of severe malaria. Their constant presence disrupted my rest and fight against the parasites draining my strength,” he added.
“Eventually, I required a patient advocate to limit the influx of curious physicians who came to witness my convulsions and, later, my coma though I was thankfully unaware during that phase. If I could survive that ordeal, I’m confident Roberts can pull through too. Sending prayers for his swift recovery,” he concluded.