Dave Navarro has long covid: ‘Will be back to my old self in… nobody knows how long’

How are our Bitches doing? Is everyone staying healthy? I’ve had more friends get Covid in the last few weeks, it’s wild. We also had our first Covid cases in my family. My niece and oldest brother, both vaxxed and boosted. They were 12 hours into a 38-hour road trip when one of my niece’s fellow nursing residents texted her telling her she’d just tested positive. They had to cancel their hike in the Grand Canyon as a result. My niece is fine now but my brother is still struggling. I hope it’s a mild case and not long haul Covid, like Dave Navarro has. The guitar legend (my opinion) informed fans via Instagram that he’s been struggling with the coronavirus since December. His band Jane’s Addiction just had to cancel their appearance at the Welcome to Rockville festival because Dave won’t be able to make it. The good news is Dave said he is supposed to get back to “his old self.” The bad news is he doesn’t know when.

Dave Navarro has opened up about his battle with long COVID which he has been dealing with since last December.

On Saturday (May 28), the Jane’s Addiction guitarist took to Instagram to discuss his lingering health problems which recently forced the band to pull out of this year’s Welcome To Rockville festival in Florida.

“So yeah, I’m one of the ones who came down with the ‘long haul covid’. Been sick since December and supposedly will be back to my old self in… nobody knows how long,” he wrote alongside a photograph of himself.

“If there are any of you who are still suffering long after your negative results, I’m just saying you aren’t alone. The fatigue and isolation is pretty awful but try to spend your time with the ones you love and stay creative. That’s how I’m trying to get through this thing. Also lots of spiritual practices, meditation and yoga have been very helpful. I’ll be ok, just don’t know when.

“PS I’m not sure why I chose this picture to say all this. Maybe because who really cares and you gotta find fun somewhere? Or at least some levity. Love and laughter are wonderful antidotes for a sickness that you really can’t track.”

He concluded: “Anyway thanks for listening and don’t worry about me. All indicators are pointing to a full recovery at some point!

“There’s really no more to say on the matter so I’d appreciate not receiving a bunch of DMs or texts. Not out of disrespect for you guys, I’m just so tired of talking about this, I’m sure you can imagine!

“Sending you all love and light. Even to those of you who are stoked I’m sick!”

[From NME]

I didn’t post the IG itself because Dave’s taken it down for some reason. Maybe long haul Covid isn’t rock n’ roll enough. Or maybe whatever photo he referred to in his caption was too goofy. It probably has much more to do with his last part about not wanting to receive DMs or texts about his condition. I understand that, honestly. We talk a lot about how wonderful it is that celebs discuss things out in the open but every time they do, it comes with a mountain of responses. And sometimes those responses feel like thy need replies, etc. It can be exhausting. If Dave’s already wiped out by Covid, he tired enough.

However, the message I hope we’re all taking from this is don’t let your guard down. I’m starting to hear a lot of misinformation from people who just want the pandemic to be over. And these are vaxxed and boosted folks, people who were careful and adhered to recommendations. But they want to believe they’re in the clear so they’re acting like it. Dave sounds drained in his IG post and that’s just from reading it. Nobody wants six months of that. Plus, Dave has the money to sit out six months to heal properly. Even if he’s testing negative, even if he’s supposed to make a full recovery (which, thank gawd for that) it sounds miserable. I hope Dave’s return to his old self begins soon. I also hope he posts again so people know that long haul Covid is still out there and can affect literally everyone.

I sniffed around a little. I see that Dave said he tested negative but I do not see any articles that confirm Dave was vaccinated. I know he was supposed to play the Welcome to Rockville festival, but they don’t have any Covid protocols in place.

Embed from Getty Images

Photo credit: Backgrid, Instagram and Getty Images

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

55 Responses to “Dave Navarro has long covid: ‘Will be back to my old self in… nobody knows how long’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. WiththeAmerican says:

    Good reminder, thank you for keeping it real! Too many want to pretend it’s over.

    • HelloDolly! says:

      ….And it’s def not over for folks with unvaxxed toddlers! I still wear a mask everywhere, and we do not dine out unless we are outside with alot of space! My husband and I literally check the possible release date of the vaccination for children under 5 years old every week, lol lol.

  2. Wiglet Watcher says:

    There’s a boom in cases everywhere. Maine says there’s less cases, but it’s an issue of underreporting.

    • Lynn says:

      Howdy fellow Mainer!

    • Hellohello says:

      Whoa, other Mainers on here! In my personal sphere, more people I know have COVID now than ever before. It’s hard to say what’s accurate but it was reported that wastewater testing around the state mostly showed a decreased viral load. But tourist season is now picking up…

      The Peoples CDC is a fabulous resource that I highly recommend: https://peoplescdc.org/2022/05/30/peoples-cdc-covid-19-weather-report-6/

      I worry a lot about long COVID. people seem cavalier about getting it now, but as someone with chronic health problems, I know few people understand the upheaval that being chronically ill inflicts on your life.

      • Giddy says:

        I’m in Texas, but am the same as you, with many more acquaintances getting Covid now than during the supposed height of the pandemic. During that time I knew only 3 close friends or family who had it . Right now I know 10 who have it, including my next door neighbor and my doctor. I think everyone was so anxious to return to normalcy that they became too casual about protections. I had been told that patients weren’t nearly as sick now, so I had assumed that they couldn’t get long Covid. After reading this article I called our pharmacy to schedule second booster shots for my husband and for me. I’m one of the “olds” around here; we just celebrated our 40th anniversary, and want to make it to 41. We’re going to go back to masking when we leave the house.

  3. Amy T says:

    Case counts where I live are higher than they were at this time a year ago. We’re required to mask at the library again (not really an issue for any of us, as we didn’t stop when the “all clear” was issued) but patrons don’t have to. That said, we keep a stack of masks by the door and many people coming in are already masked or grab one and put it on. It might not be as deadly, but it’s nothing to mess with. Wishing Dave and all the long-haulers a full recovery. Stay safe, fellow CBers.

  4. Kkat says:

    I have long covid :p
    I got it originally in March 2020, I was actively sick until June. it took till September before I felt mostly myself again. I had to use my inhaler all the time and had crushing exaustion.

    Then Dec 27 I got Omi, I was actively sick until the end of February. I improved but I still get fatigue, exaustion, dizziness, feeling faint and headaches (headaches that are different than my usual ones)

    Some days I’ll feel fine, then others I feel like I’m getting sick again and horrible exaustion. It’s really annoying.

    I got the Pfizer when it came out, then I got boosted November 2021 and got the second booster a few weeks ago.

    I’m thankful that this is all that’s wrong with me, my sister is on a IR surgical team and they get a lot of clots, strokes and lots of people with kidney damage due to covid. A lot of people in their 20’s

    We’ve never stopped wearing masks out of the house, it’s surging here in California and I’m really hoping I don’t get it again 😜

    • FancyPants says:

      I’m so sorry for your struggles. Did you feel like you had any reaction to the vaccine/boosters with having long COVID? I need to get the second booster, but I had bad reactions to all 3 doses (had to have surgery to remove the lump from the first shot that didn’t go away for more than a year!), I will get the second booster once I recover from having COVID currently, I am just curious how the next shot might make me feel.

      • Twin Falls says:

        There’s really no way to know how you’ll personally react to the booster but my experience was no side effects from first two Pfizer doses, caught Covid, recovered, got Pfizer booster and had 24 hours of fever, aches and chills.

      • Kkat says:

        Ok so my first Pfizer shot I was meh, it made me tired, sleepy, headache body aches, not too bad.
        The second shot flattened me, I felt awful and could barely get out of bed for almost a month. I found out long reactions to the shots are more common than we know.

        So I was very paranoid about the first booster, but I just had a normal regular reaction to it. And the second booster not much at all.

        I will say have your vitamin D levels checked, mine was low even though I was taking supplements my score was 20 after covid, but I got tested again after the second shot and I was down to 8, Wich is very low.
        I read a lot and they aren’t sure if covid leeches vit D from you or not.

        But for sure being at all deficient in D will make you more likely to get sicker and there is a link to long covid.
        One of the hospital protocols is to give you massive amounts of IV D.

        So I highly recommend getting your levels tested! I had to take 50,000 a day for almost 3 months and now I’m on a maintenance of 2,000 a day and a 50,000 dose once a week

    • BothSidesNow says:

      @ Kkat, I am so sorry that you are suffering still. Long haul covid is nothing that can be determined as to when and IF the symptoms will or won’t persist. We are in uncharted territory here.

      I suffer from chronic pain and I am fearful of catching the coronavirus. I have not stopped, nor will I, wearing a mask at all times. My son, DIL and their decisions are void of taking coronavirus seriously, so they are no longer welcome into my home, unless we are all outside, but I will still wear my mask, doubled. Until people start realizing that coronavirus is here to stay until it’s done with us, and not the other way around, the strains will continue to evolve. Living in Texas is the equivalent to living in hell, so no one masks here and are blatant “freedumbs” walking amongst us all. No regard to those in society, just the blatant selfishnesses that is prevalent within society.

      I do hope that the CDC and the FDA will make the vaccinations available for those under 5 quickly. Coronavirus is Russian roulette with your health and those around you.

  5. butterflystella says:

    I tested positive Monday (on my birthday no less) after a trip to NYC. Vaxxed and boosted. Feels like a head cold so I’m grateful. Hope Dave feels better soon.

  6. Tootsie McJingle says:

    I’ve definitely noticed an uptick in cases round here. 4 of my 2 year olds at work have had it in the last month and a half resulting in the classroom being shut down 3 times for 5 days. One of co workers is out with it right now too. I was starting to get a little lax with my mask, but I’ve gone back to wearing it most places. I hope others start to do the same, but I doubt it.

    • FHMom says:

      My daughter works part time in a preschool. She tested positive this weekend. Shut the classroom down this week. The thing is, she had been nowhere but to work last week so she must have picked it up there.

  7. J. Ferber says:

    My neighbor across the street just got Covid after the last few years commuting into NYC by train and being fine. Just a reminder, yes, that it ain’t over. Dave looks awful in that first pic.

  8. liz says:

    We’re in NYC and Kiddo’s high school prom was last week. There was an outbreak tied to the prom/post-prom festivities. At least 10% of the senior class has tested positive this week (Kiddo had it in April and is now fine). The senior retreat was cancelled in hopes that it will slow down the spread enough for everyone to be able to make it to graduation next week.

    COVID is no where near finished with us yet.

    Hubby had his second booster last week, I’m scheduled for mine next week. So far we’ve been OK, we even managed to avoid it while Kiddo was sick.

  9. FancyPants says:

    I currently have COVID for the first time (had one booster shot so far). I still mask up indoors, but I went to two activities last weekend that were completely outdoors, so I guess that wasn’t good enough. Last Wednesday morning, I woke up with near-constant cough, headache, and severe congestion, but I home-tested negative for three straight days, told myself it must be allergies so quit being such a baby. Saturday morning, I didn’t want to waste another test (was isolating anyway) even though I felt like I was getting sicker and was getting short of breath. Sunday morning I could barely make it up the stairs in my house, and had a sore throat to go with everything else, said I am SICK wtf and took another home test that was finally positive (5th day of symptoms). I got a video appointment with my doctor (who I have to pay $$$ because he’s the only doctor I could get an appointment with when I moved here and he’s practically concierge medicine so I finally got some money’s worth out of it). He prescribed me Paxlovid, steroids, and inhaler, so by the next day I was at least not still deteriorating. Oximeter was high 80s/low 90s before Paxlovid, back to normal by third day. I am so worried about developing long COVID. I have to lie down on the bed every time I walk up the stairs (I’m trying to stay downstairs as much as possible). I am taking things as easy as I can, trying to recuperate as uneventfully as possible, because the thought of feeling like this for months, let alone the rest of this week, is terrifying. I read accounts like Dave Navarro’s and the utter unfairness of it all really strikes me, as well as how much we still do not know about this disease.
    And just to rub salt in the wound, my neighbor has COVID right now too! I hadn’t seen her before I got it because she had been in Las Vegas. We both live alone and try to watch out for each other and our houses, but we can’t even help each other now.

    • Chaine says:

      That sounds so scary. I hope you get back to normal soon.

    • BothSidesNow says:

      Get well soon and a speedy and full recovery as well!!!

    • Coco Bean says:

      @fancypants

      Hope you are feeling better! I’m going through covid rebound after taking paxlovid two weeks ago today. I have a history of pneumonia so got on it the day I tested positive. Felt better and tested negative six days later so resumed life at home taking care of my small children (who all just had covid before me). Started feeling exhausted by the end of last week, would have to lie down on the stairs, retested on Saturday and got a really faint line after 15 minutes. Tested Sunday and a strong line popped up right way. Sore throat, congestion, headache all over again. I wonder if I’d stayed resting a few extra days if I wouldn’t have rebounded but I’ll never know. I feel like I was in this false sense of security that I’d recovered but my body was still fighting it. I’d recommend resting as much and as long as possible!

  10. ThatsNotOkay says:

    Everyone knows COVID eats your brain, right? Like, even mild cases shrink your brain largely in the areas associated with smell, taste, and other cognition. It’s a prequel to every zombie movie there ever was. Stay double masked everywhere you go outside of your house, and DON’T GET THIS SH*T!

  11. Amy Too says:

    My FIL tested positive for Covid last weekend and has cold like symptoms. He and my MIL wore their masks everywhere, are vaccinated and boosted, and were very careful. He doesn’t know how or where he got it and is kind of embarassed that he has it.

  12. salmonpuff says:

    Pretty much everyone I know has covid right now. I don’t know how we’ve escaped it. My friend’s doctor said it’s so contagious right now that even masks aren’t a guarantee AND that a current case can provide immunity for only 10-90 days. So basically…good luck, all.

    • H says:

      I’m in my 10-90 window after having Omicron in early March. I’m vaxxed and boosted. I went to a small venue concert this weekend in Colorado. The venue had a balcony. I stood outside and listened to the music with my mask on. Of the 200 people there and inside the concert hall, NO ONE was wearing a mask.

      Colorado has always been my safe zone as Coloradians have been super compliant about mask wearing. No more. I still go everywhere with a mask but still nervous even after standing outside during this thing.

  13. ChewieNYC says:

    I just tested positive for the first time after attending an indoor wedding Saturday. First time at a large maskless indoor event after being so careful for years. Knew going in there was a possibility but was tired of missing out on important moments.

    • laurie says:

      We went to an indoor wedding last week and were the only masked people attending. When the food was served we took our plates outside onto the patio/deck. I am the mask police in my relationship. We don’t go anywhere or do anything, even outdoors, without being masked. Also, I travel a lot internationally and have been on three long trips, masked all the time, without incident 🤞🏻 No indoor dining either. Outdoor or room service. IMO this is is my life from now on. It’s a minor inconvenience to avoid long covid, which scares the sh*t out of me.

  14. HeatherC says:

    I went to Welcome to Rockville for my birthday, all four days and it was an experience! I was bummed Jane’s Addiction wasn’t able to make it, but we were treated to Porno for Pyros instead, who were excellent! It also reignited my love for Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor, what a set!

    But there were NO protocols, no one masked, no vaxx cards, no screening. I know, Florida being Florida. In my rock forums I see people reporting positive after positive after attending. COVID isn’t going away any time soon, and underreporting like in Florida and Maine (as mentioned above) gives us a skewed sense of relief and relaxation about it all.

    • MerlinsMom1018 says:

      @HEATHERC
      Dave Navarro has made me swoon for years now, it’s unhealthy really 😆 at my age (64 and staring 65 right in the face)
      NIN has always had a spot on my play list, still does and there’s something about Trent Reznor that just makes my heart beat just a wee bit harder (maybe it’s that bad boy thing?)
      I’m in Texas and although in my area of trumperville there’s some dedicated mask wearing (🙋 and MerlinsDad) too many people don’t. We live in a tourist area and we don’t go out unless absolutely necessary. It gets insane here.

      • BothSidesNow says:

        @ MerlinsMom1018, native Houstonian here and currently live in Bryan/College Station. I can attest to the “freedumbs” walking freely about, no regard to those around each other. I have been double masking since the beginning. I have no desire to become infected as I certainly wouldn’t survive, given my health issues. But we must never let our guard down! As for being in your age group, gawd I hate those f#cking categories, I hear you on the NIN swoon! We are women and we have needs. It’s healthy! Celebrate it!!

      • MerlinsMom1018 says:

        @BOTHSIDESNOW
        Hello fellow Texan!!!! My former son-in-law and grandson live in The Woodlands and have family in Pasadena

        Gimme some Trent all day every day!!!!!!! (I put on Head Like A Hole when I have to scrub the floors. Gives me that pissed off energy)
        I don’t mind spinning the wheel on the age category. Matter of fact I enjoy it. It’s like a surprise gift

  15. MerlinsMom1018 says:

    MerlinsDad and I have been still wearing masks no matter what. He doesn’t have to but with my breathing issues and the fact he goes out into the public more than me we’re both on the better safe than sorry side.
    He also just had back surgery on May 23rd and except for trips to doc, he’s pretty much confined to home, so I am running errands and such for now.
    I have noticed an uptick in mask wearing here recently.

  16. Chicken says:

    I got it back in April, after I went to a work event with people i thought were as cautious as I was. I only took my mask off to eat lunch, but that was enough, because a person at the table next to me turned out to be quite sick (why she attended, I just don’t know). I had a head cold and a cough and exhaustion for several days, but luckily, I recovered. So many of my coworkers have it right now, and these are people who have public health experience, several epidemiologists, in fact, who are super careful. This current strain is just so dang infectious.

  17. ME says:

    It’s shocking how many people really think the pandemic is over. They talk about Covid as if it’s in the past. They have their heads in the sand. This is not over. Cases are rising (and that’s based on limited testing, numbers are actually higher than what’s being reported).

  18. MsIam says:

    Well I admit I have slacked on masking. I went shopping last weekend and didn’t wear a mask. I’m still working from home so I don’t go out much at all. But after reading these comments, I’m going back to masking again. And yes I am vaxxed and double boosted.

  19. Dee says:

    I’m a doc and we are having more cases now than at any point in the pandemic, though less hospitalizations and in our large city, no deaths in those fully vaccinated and boosted for almost 3 months.

  20. Chaine says:

    I live in an urban area in the south. I noticed in the stores over Memorial Day weekend that people were suddenly masking up again, even at the outdoor farmer’s market there was a noticeable increase in mask wearing. I feel like every fourth or fifth person I know has Covid right now, including lots of people that had been so careful and avoided it all this time, so it is definitely trending up again.

    I don’t know if the header pic is recent, but Dave looks awful. Too skinny and his hair looks really thin and unhealthy, maybe Covid hair loss?

  21. Lady Keller says:

    We had it over Easter and I still feel…off. I can’t explain exactly what it is, but I feel like a shadow of my former self. My kids still have lingering coughs. Despite being vaxxed I feel it was pretty inevitable for us to get it. With 2 young kids in school/day home it was a matter of time before one of them brought it home. But bills have to get paid. I stayed home with them for a year and a half and now i need to rebuild my bank account.

    It’s frustrating how people seem to have given up on covid precautions. It’s out there and it’s serious.

    • Meghan says:

      I got Covid in February and somehow, miraculously, did not give it to my boss, who I share an office with, or my family including my 5 year old son who would sit at the end of my bed to “be close but not too close” to me. What I’ve had is a cough. I was still hacking away for the month of March and maybe the last week of March to the 3rd week of April I was relatively cough-free. But once the pollen really hit, my cough came back so hard I was throwing up from it. And all my doctor can do is give me cough syrup and steroids because my lungs sound good. I’m grateful to not have the aches and pains that I had during Covid, but damn I am over this coughing.

  22. amurph says:

    I had a coworker say that people need to stop freaking out over Covid and that it’s just a “cold”. I flipped out as politely as I could as I’m living the horror show of long Covid. I’ve never gotten it but my mom has long Covid and as a result is in peak heart failure. She’s on oxygen 24/7 and it still drops into the 70s. Her scans from January pre-Covid to now show a drastic degree of decline. As in, she got the echo in January with everything okay for her age, got Covid right after, and now her scan in May shows heart failure and severe pulmonary hypertension due to Covid.

  23. Case says:

    This is what has scared me from the beginning. On top of having certain high-risk factors for hospitalization and death, I have a disability. As I have explained it to my loved ones — I simply cannot become more disabled from this. My life already has a number of challenges I’ve dealt with my whole life and I’m totally unwilling to risk getting long-COVID and having constant fatigue, breathing issues, heart problems, loss of taste and smell, etc. on top of what I already deal with on a daily basis.

    A lot of people don’t understand why literally *nothing* is worth risking this to me. Yes, I’d love to go to the movie theater or to see a Broadway show again. I’d love to go on vacation or just eat indoors. But my desire to avoid long-term side effects from COVID outweighs all of that, and I’m lucky enough to work from home, so I’m not going to go out of my way to put myself in danger. Cases are so bad again, so I’m pretty much having a totally indoor summer.

  24. luna17 says:

    Ugh, I’m in central NM and there is a huge outbreak here! SO many people have it now. I’m a few weeks away from having a baby and crossing my fingers my midwife and her team stays healthy (they are all vaxxed and boosted) and my family. My husband read a study saying that the recent boosters weren’t very effective as they originally thought and the kids shots weren’t as effective as they had hoped for either. Since this virus keeps mutating it feels like the boosters and shots can’t keep up and by the time they are available they aren’t targeting the current strains as well. It’s so frustrating and don’t get me started on freaking monkey pox!

  25. Still In My Robe says:

    I have never stopped masking, never dine inside, don’t report to an office. And, yep, got COVID two weeks ago. Everyone else in my household goes to school or an office, but they all stayed negative (and I quarantined strictly to ensure that). Still a mystery where I got it. It’s everywhere in Washington, DC right now, the most cases that have ever been reported in my neighborhood, and people tend to be very good about masking in public here. Thankfully I was only symptomatic for a day-and-a-half but tested positive for 11 days. Please be thoughtful, people.

    • ME says:

      I wonder how you caught it? Did your family members do more than one test to prove they were negative? Could be one of them was asymptomatic and had a false negative. It does happen. Some people have to test many times to finally get a positive result, but they do this because they have symptoms.

  26. BrainFog 💉💉💉😷 says:

    Nooooo! I love Dave. This sucks.

  27. Lori says:

    I saw his original post, the pic was of him naked (no bits showing, but all tats) in a very childlike and vulnerable way. He was on his bum and his legs were bent in front of him and his arms were wrapped about his legs loosely. Red, shadowy lighting. I found it really fitting for a post where he revealed that he just felt helpless against something.

  28. Lisbeth says:

    I admire him for telling us, I hope he gets well soon! I also hope Covidiots didn’t harass him for being honest.

  29. Truthiness says:

    I’m a long hauler but I don’t like talking about it, the Covidiots stress me the f-k out.

  30. AmelieOriginal says:

    I had covid a few weeks ago for the first time and was mostly asymptomatic, I had very mild congestion and that was about it. My dad was symptomatic and his PCR was positive, my second PCR was positive 4 days later (the first one was negative). I don’t trust the rapid tests as I just tested negative on them when I actually had covid. Of course this means I can’t use PCR again until August because you can continue to test positive on them for up to 3 months. So I have to use rapids now which I’m not thrilled about.

    However since COVID (maybe a week or two after I tested positive) I’ve been dealing with throat inflammation for weeks, my throat feels like it’s constantly burning. It hurt so badly last weekend I went to urgent care to rule out strep. The doctor diagnosed me with a sinus infection that I don’t think I have but he did say I had some enlarged lymph nodes. So I’m currently taking an antibiotic but the throat inflammation comes and goes along with heartburn. I really hope it’s allergies and not long covid because I hate feeling all this inflammation. It isn’t fun.

  31. Abund says:

    Yes, @Kkat, I agree with you. Lots of studies confirming some kind of relationship between vit D and covid outcomes. I’ve been taking it for years, way before COVID hit, since my GP had my levels tested and found I had a mil deficiency. A lot of people are deficient; it’s very easy to be deficient in D.

    I have all my family members on vitamin D supplements now, mainly bc of the COVID risks, and I highly recommend people look up the research out there and make up their own minds about this. As I read some doctor saying, there’s little risk to supplementing with Vitamin D anyway.