Dr. Drew reveals COVID-19 diagnosis months after apologizing for downplaying coronavirus

Celebrity doctor Drew Pinsky has tested positive for COVID-19. Pinsky, known as “Dr. Drew,” is “under surveillance” according to a message shared on his Instagram account.

“Drew is feeling better and will [hopefully] get well soon,” the post read.

Pinsky, who has an M.D. in internal medicine and maintains a private practice in Southern California in addition to his media career, shared a health update on Tuesday evening telling his followers COVID-19 is “no fun.”

“I don’t recommend it, but I’m sort of through the viral phase, which is when the virus is reproducing,” Pinsky said in a video, adding that he has taken a lot of “good medication” to attack the virus. He said he’s on “day five or six.” Pinsky said he’s “glad to get” COVID-19 now and “not earlier” in the pandemic.

Pinksy said his positive test was a relief of sorts.

“Because I had this terrible acute febrile illness and was testing negative, and if I did not have COVID, I had acute lymphocytic leukemia, which I did not want to have because that's the only thing that would do what was happening to me,” he revealed. “So COVID would explain the whole thing nicely and we have some many good treatments now for COVID. And I look forward to the immunity on the other side of this.”

The immune response, including duration of immunity, to COVID-19 is not yet understood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC notes there is not enough information yet to say whether someone will definitely be immune and protected from reinfection if they have antibodies to the virus.

Pinsky’s diagnosis comes months after he apologized for downplaying the severity of the virus and calling the pandemic “press induced panic.”

“My early comments about equating coronavirus with influenza were wrong. They were incorrect. I was part of a chorus that was saying that. And we were wrong. And I want to apologize for that,” he said in April. “I wish I had gotten it right, but I got it wrong.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.

• What to do if you think you have the coronavirus

• What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

• Glossary of public health terms to stay informed

• The most common ways the coronavirus is transmitted

• How to maintain your physical and mental health during the pandemic

• Taking care of a loved one with COVID-19? Here’s how to stay healthy

• COVID-19 and pregnancy: What we know so far

• How to find a job, unemployment insurance

• Q&A with Dr. Kavita Patel: How to keep your family safe and maintain your mental health

• Opening and cleaning delivery packages

• Tips for grocery shopping

• How to deal with potentially contaminated money

• How to do your laundry safely

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