John Roberts, a 68-year-old anchor for Fox News, is currently in the hospital battling a serious case of malaria. Roberts shared with PEOPLE magazine that he was diagnosed on Monday, August 25. He believes he contracted the illness during a vacation in Indonesia. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, US reports 2000 malaria cases a year with an average of 7 deaths per year since 2007-2022. What’s surprising is that 95% of these cases happen to be people who did not take malaria prevention medication. What Symptoms Did John Roberts Experience? Roberts described his symptoms as starting about 10 days after he returned from his trip. He felt pain all over his body, as he explained “from head to toe” and experienced uncontrollable shivering while on air. Initially, he thought it was just the flu, but knew it was serious when blood tests showed his white blood cells and platelets were very low. Upon being officially diagnosed in the emergency room, Roberts admitted he was "a little scared," recognizing that malaria can be deadly if not treated. He said he has never felt this sick in his life. What Is The First Symptom Of Malaria? Stanford University explains that In the beginning, malaria can feel a lot like the flu. Symptoms might not seem unique, as they are similar to many other common illnesses. The most typical symptoms of malaria include: FeverChills HeadacheSweatingFatigue or feeling very tiredNausea and vomitingBody achesA general feeling of being sickHow severe these symptoms are can depend on your age, overall health, and the type of malaria parasite you have. In some cases, people who have been infected many times might have few or even no symptoms at all. While most people recover, in rare cases, malaria can become very serious. It can lead to problems with the brain or spinal cord, seizures, or a loss of consciousness. The most severe types of malaria can even be deadly. How Long Does It Take For Malaria Symptoms To Appear? Symptoms usually show up anywhere from 7 to 30 days after you are infected. However, for some types of malaria, you might not feel sick for many months, and in rare cases, up to a year after being exposed. The time it takes for symptoms to appear can also be longer if you have taken medicine to prevent the infection. Additionally, if you have had malaria before, your symptoms might be less severe. How Was John Roberts Treated? Roberts has been treated with IV artesunate, a powerful medication used for severe cases of malaria. He describes his recovery as a series of "up and down" days, with his body temperature swinging from shivering cold to sweating. Roberts is the only malaria patient in his hospital, and one of his doctors said it was the first case he had ever seen. A person’s malaria treatment depends on a few things like, Whether it's for prevention or to treat an active infection.Your health, age, and if you are pregnant.How sick you are.If the malaria parasite is resistant to certain medicines.The possible side effects of the medicine.People who need special care include pregnant women, children, the elderly, and those with other health problems.How Is Severe Malaria Treated? In very serious cases of malaria, a special procedure called an exchange blood transfusion may be used. This is the fastest way to get rid of the parasites. During this procedure, blood is taken from you while you receive new blood from a donor, along with malaria medicine. If you are traveling to a remote area without easy access to medical care, your doctor might give you medicine to carry with you. You will get instructions on how to use it if you start showing malaria symptoms. This is a temporary solution, and you should still get to a doctor as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours.