Tommaso Boddi/WireImage Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro on Friday announced he will not be attending Jane’s Addiction and Smashing Pumpkin’s “Spirits On Fire” tour due to his lingering COVID-19 symptoms.
“To all of the Jane’s Addiction fans attending the Jane’s/ Smashing Pumpkins ‘Spirits On Fire’ tour, I am sorry to have to say that I will not be attending due to my continued battle with Long Covid that I have been dealing with since last December,” he wrote in a statement on Twitter.
“I had hoped for a full recovery by October, but I am still very fatigued and will not be able to join this leg. I am personally gutted as our original bass player has returned, Eric Avery. We wanted to bring you the original lineup, but that will have to wait until I am recovered. While the band is touring, I will be working on some new Jane’s material in the studio here in LA.”
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While Navarro, 55, will not be able to take on the stage for the tour, he shared “the great Troy Van Leeuwen will be filling in for me.”
“He has been in such bands as Queens of the Stone Age, Failure, A Perfect Circle, Eagles of Death Metal & The Damned, just to name a few,” he continued.
Noting that “he is a great guy,” Navarro added, “I am honored to have him help make this tour happen. Though I am saddened to not make this tour, I am focused on making a full recovery and re-joining the guys when I am able.”
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“I truly wish the band well on this tour, and I am confident they will bring everything to make it a fabulous show! Go get ’em guys!” he concluded. “Maybe I can get to a show one night and watch my own band for the first time ever. Thank you for understanding.”
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In May, the musician detailed his experience with long-haul COVID even after testing negative in a since-deleted Instagram post. He first caught the virus in December.
“So yeah, I’m one of the ones who came down with the ‘long haul covid,'” Navarro wrote at the time, according to NME. “Been sick since December and supposedly will be back to my old self in… nobody knows how long.”
Navarro said that despite the struggles he’s endured, he’s found ways to cope, like spending time with loved ones and practicing yoga and meditation.
“If there are any of you who are still suffering long after your negative results, I’m just saying you aren’t alone,” he continued. “The fatigue and isolation are 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.”
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In his message at the time, Navarro emphasized the importance of finding “levity” in difficult situations.
“Love and laughter are wonderful antidotes for a sickness that you really can’t track,” he wrote. “Anyway thanks for listening and don’t worry about me. All indicators are pointing to a full recovery at some point!”
Scientists have yet to find a specific cause of long-haul COVID, even though 13.3 percent of people infected with the virus report symptoms one month or longer after infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments.
