> felt the need to work while ill in bed, with very little sleep and sick with fever

You are assuming that...

He says he currently has a fever.

But was he sick when he wrote the article? That is not so clear.

Have you met any professional journos? It's not exactly a laid back profession. I could easily imagine the people I know pushing through illness to get a story out.

tbh that's the least surprising aspect of this. Most journalists do not have work-life balance.