Jordan Peterson infected with COVID-19 while in Serbian hospital for drug dependency - report

A controversial Canadian professor who gained fame rallying against political correctness has reportedly been infected with COVID-19 while staying in a Serbian hospital for over-reliance on drugs. 

Dr Jordan Peterson, who shot to fame in 2016 after featuring in several highly-viewed videos where he discussed political correctness, flew to Russia earlier this year after developing a dependency on prescription drugs, The Sun reports.

Speaking to the British outlet, Mikhaila Peterson said her dad had contracted COVID-19 while seeking further treatment in a Serbian hospital where he was recovering from an over-reliance on Benzodiazepine.

She said he was put on a lot of antiviral drugs, which she didn't believe was necessary as he only had mild symptoms. The daughter also revealed he was suffering from pneumonia, which he had fought earlier this year. 

"And so now we've had a step back in his recovery. Life is just not good, things are not good right now," she said.

"He'll get better, but he's definitely taken a step back and it's just really unfortunate... it's been a disaster."

Last year, Mikhaila posted a nine-minute video about her father's issues with anti-anxiety medication Clonazepam, which Healthline says is used to treat panic disorder.

He was prescribed the drug after becoming stressed when his wife was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo several operations. 

To try and wean himself off the drug, Jordan checked himself into a New York rehabilitation centre.

He shared the video in September saying: "At least life isn't dull".

Dr Peterson is also known for his self-help book 12 Rules for Life. While in New Zealand in 2019, he criticised gender quotas and moves to allow sex markers on birth certificates to be changed.

Among his controversial opinions are the views that women wear makeup in the workplace to be sexually provocative, white privilege is a "Marxist lie" and people shouldn't have to comply with what gender pronouns others wish to be called by.