Contestant from the latest season of The Block, Josh Packham, has revealed he tested positive to COVID-19 after attending a boxing match to support his twin brother, Luke, which was also attended by a group of fellow reality TV stars.
Josh took to his Instagram to announce he’d tested positive on Wednesday, but was feeling okay in terms of symptoms.
“I got my results back, and no surprises, I’m positive,” he told the camera in a video posted to his Instagram stories.
“Obviously it sucks that I’m not going to be able to spend Christmas with family and friends, but I do have my roommate isolating with me, so that’s the one thing we can take out – that we’re doing it together,” he said.
“I’m actually not feeling that sick,” Josh explained.
“Bit of a cough, bit of a head cold sort of feeling, but I’ve got plenty of energy.
“Yesterday I was sort of having the sweats and body aches, but today, way better, so hopefully I knock it off pretty quickly … might even be able to get out for New Years.”
“If you do want to spend Christmas with your family, it’s probably best to keep your distance from people you’re not really close with and keep that close circle as small as possible, because chances are you will catch it, because it’s running rampant through Sydney and Melbourne right now,” the former Love Island star advised his followers.
Josh has also somewhat taken treatment into his own hands, revealing he had ordered the controversial drug Ivermectin to see if it helped fast-track his recovery.
“What I am concerned about is there’s no early prevention methods put in place by the government,” he said on Instagram yesterday.
“They basically just say have a vaccine and if you catch it, stay in isolation for 14 days and if you’re a really really bad case, you’ll go to hospital.”
Ivermectin is used to treat lice and worms in horses and cows, and has not been approved by any authority for human use or as a treatment for COVID-19.
“I am starting to feel a lot better, I haven’t had any of the night sweats. I am blocked up in my nose and can’t taste anything, but that’s the only issues I’m having right now,” Josh updated his followers today.
“As for my roommate Nick, he is still negative,” he confirmed, continuing to say that being double vaccinated against COVID-19 was proving effective.
“As for my treatment, I’ve had zinc, magnesium, heaps of vitamins, yes I chucked Ivermectin in there,” he admitted.
“There’s very small, mild chances of a reaction to that, but at the end of the day we do a whole lot worse … so as a risk-taker, I was going to do it.”
Josh mentioned he had come into contact with a lot of friends while he was in Melbourne and encouraged them to go and get tested.
He visited Melbourne Pavillion on Friday night to watch Luke’s fight against Shannon Karaka, a fellow reality TV alum, who starred on the 2020 season of The Bachelorette.
Also fighting on the night were The Bachelorette’s Ciarran Stott, Married at First Sight’s Sam Carraro, Love Island’s Todd Elton, and boxer Roland Bradley.
Also in attendance were MAFS cast members Bryce Ruthven, Melissa Rawson, Alana Lister, Belinda Vickers and James Susler, along with Bachelorette ‘villain’ Pascal Wallace.
None of the fellow attendees have addressed any symptoms, or yet tested positive.
WATCH BELOW: MAFS’ Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson twins test for Covid
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