'A severe flu?!': Prominent anti-restriction activist from B.C. falls ill, reports symptoms consistent with COVID-19
A prominent anti-restriction activist from B.C. who has been involved in a number of high-profile rallies against COVID-19 mitigation measures has disclosed he's fallen ill and has "never been more sick."
Ryan Kulbaba, who has fought against everything from masks in schools to the province's vaccine card, reported a wide range of symptoms on Facebook this week, including chills, body aches, coughing, fatigue, difficulty walking and soreness in his eyes.
While a number of commenters questioned whether he might have caught the novel coronavirus, which has been linked to those symptoms and others, Kulbaba did not address the possibility in his post.
"Maybe a severe flu?!?" he wrote.
"I don't know what the (expletive) I have but this is BY FAR the worst I've felt combined with the length of time being sick EVER. Holy (expletive)!!!!!!"
The activist, who helped organize the so-called B.C. Freedom Mega Rally in Vancouver last year and has been involved in several others since, said he had been sick for seven days straight as of Oct. 18.
A previous post indicated he was in close contact with other members of the movement on the evening of Oct. 12.
"Hands were shook, hugs were hugged, fences were mended, pasts were left in the past and apologies were said," he wrote.
Kulbaba's post prompted an outpouring of sympathy, with many of his thousands of followers offering non-medical advice for treating his symptoms, recommending remedies ranging from melatonin to vitamin C. Some also suggested he take the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, which has not been proven to treat COVID-19.
"Ivermectin for horses comes in a paste. Take one-tenth of a tube a day," one commenter wrote, possibly in jest.
"Thanks for dose info," responded another.
Ivermectin prompted a warning from Health Canada over the summer following a spike in poison control centre calls regarding people who had taken the drug against medical advice.
"There is no evidence that ivermectin works to prevent or treat COVID-19, and it is not authorized for this use," Health Canada said at the time.
"Health Canada has not received any drug submission or applications for clinical trials for ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19."
CTV News reached out to Kulbaba for an update on his condition and to seek comment for the speculation on his illness, but has not heard back.
Warning: The following screenshot contains cursing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.