Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos revealed Monday on the show that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 after his wife had earlier tested positive for the virus. Stephanopoulos hosted the show from his home and said he’s “feeling great … I've never had a fever, never had cough, never had shortness of breath, never had chills, any of the classic symptoms you’ve been reading about.” He said that one night weeks ago he had lower back pain, but it went away the next morning. The host also reported one day of a “diminished sense of smell … I was taking the test fully expecting that it was going to come back negative,” he said, “but in fact, it did come back positive.”
His wife, actress Ali Wentworth, however, reported that she had "never been sicker" in an Instagram post on April 1. “High fever. Horrific body aches. Heavy chest. I’m quarantined from my family,” she said. “This is pure misery. #stayhome”
Although Wentworth is feeling better, the wide variation in severity of the symptoms from one person with the novel coronavirus to the next is not an unusual occurrence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency estimated up to one in four people may have the virus, even when they don’t have any symptoms. Dr. Jennifer Ashton, of ABC News, told Good Morning America that new data from Iceland—a smaller country ahead of the curve regarding testing its population—revealed that 50% of those infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. "That is part of why it’s so difficult to contain this virus," Ashton said on the show Monday. "We have to remember this virus is just about four months old, so literally we’re learning things about the way it behaves and the way it transmits and causes disease every day."
CNN anchors Chris Cuomo and Brooke Baldwin also tested positive for the virus, the news agency reported. Cuomo said on Wednesday during his show, Cuomo Prime Time, that after earlier reporting tremors so severe he chipped a tooth, he is feeling "better than I deserve." He said although he’s getting better, his chest is tight, his breath is short, and "it hurts in the mornings.” He explained that nights have been worse and he’s “oddly spacey.” He said, “On the night of Passover I got good news, that I think the worst of this is over for me.”
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Baldwin said on Instagram Saturday that the “tricky thing” about the virus is just when you think you’re improving, your body gives you the middle finger. “Last night turned out to be my worst so far — aches, chills, highest fever I’ve had. Tears. It wasn’t pretty,” she said in the post’s caption. “But I woke up this morning after a monster night sleep [the length of sleep I don’t think I’ve had since junior high school] feeling rested and at peace.” She said her husband, who she called “Superman,” brought her her routine toast and tea, “neither of which I can smell or taste” as she sat “just brimming with gratitude … This will all be over soon enough. I’ll go back to joining the rest of you in zoom calls and virtual work outs 💦 and wondering when this will all end and what the net effect of it all will be,” Baldwin said. She added that teachers and nurses need “a serious RAISE.”