Longtime Fox News anchor John Roberts has revealed he was hospitalised with a “severe” case of a potentially fatal disease after suffering “uncontrolled” shaking while on air. The 68-year-old is currently fighting a serious bout of malaria, a parasitic mosquito-transmitted illness that the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention warns can be lethal “if not diagnosed and treated quickly.”
His diagnosis came on Monday, August 25. Following his mysterious absence from Fox News program America Reports, Roberts disclosed his condition on social media August 27, stating he “somehow came down” with the illness. He posted on X, “I can honestly say that I am the only person in the hospital with malaria.”
He noted that one physician informed him he represents the “first case he has ever seen.”
Roberts has now revealed to People, “I had been aching from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. Literally everywhere. I was also hit with uncontrolled shivering all during my show. Initially, I thought it was just muscle cramps and aches. But when I started shivering, I started to lean toward the flu.”
The anchor explained he “knew it was bad” when blood tests revealed both his platelets and white blood cells had dropped dangerously low.
“My rheumatologist told me to go to the ER,” he remembered.
Upon his admission to the hospital, Roberts was officially diagnosed with malaria.
“I thought, ‘Of course you have malaria… You never do anything in small measures.’ But I was a little scared,” he confessed. “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 continued. “I have never felt that sick in my life.”
While in the hospital, Roberts was treated with IV artesunate – the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the U.S. – which he refers to as a “big gun” for eliminating parasites. His recovery has been an “up and down” journey.
“Yesterday [Aug. 27] was a down day,” he shared. “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.”
The veteran news anchor is hopeful of being discharged from the hospital soon and plans to return to work on Tuesday, September 2.
Roberts believes he contracted the disease while vacationing in Indonesia, having spent two weeks there before returning to the U.S. in early August. He doesn’t recall being bitten, but he started feeling ill about 10 days after his return.
Malaria is typically contracted in tropical or subtropical regions, with symptoms ranging from fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches to gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. These symptoms usually manifest within a week to a month after exposure.