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George Stephanopoulos is the latest news anchor to reveal a COVID-19 diagnosis, which he did on Monday’s episode of Good Morning America, two weeks after his wife, Ali Wentworth, shared her diagnosis. Unlike Ali, who was very sick but is recovering and just came out of isolation, George said that he hasn’t experienced any of the typical symptoms. Us Weekly has more:
“I actually feel great,” the Good Morning America anchor, 59, said on the ABC show on Monday, April 13, while working from home. “I’ve never had a fever, never had a cough, never had shortness of breath, never had chills — any of the classic symptoms you’ve been reading about.”
Stephanopoulos told his cohosts Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts that he briefly had lower back pain and a “diminished sense of smell” weeks prior to his diagnosis, but otherwise he has been feeling OK.
“I was taking the test fully expecting it was going to come back negative,” he said. “But, in fact, it did come back positive.”
Ali revealed her diagnosis on April 1 on Instagram.
She wrote:
I have tested positive for the Corona Virus. I’ve never been sicker. High fever. Horrific body aches. Heavy chest. I’m quarantined from my family. This is pure misery. #stayhome
The next day, George shared a video message from Ali during the GMA broadcast:
Sending lots of love this morning to @AliEWentworth and @GStephanopoulos’ family! Ali shares experience with us after testing positive for COVID-19: “You know I’m feverish if I’m allowing myself on national television with no makeup on.” https://t.co/x5IwkW5sfQ pic.twitter.com/wBxAiEs33z
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 2, 2020
Poor Ali. She joked, “You know I’m feverish if I’m allowing myself to go on national television with no makeup on” and that she “finished watching Netflix.” Some of the things that helped her are Tylenol, chicken soup, hot baths when she had the chills, and having her two dogs sleep with her.
George had been taking care of Ali and bringing her food. Their daughters, Elliott, 17, and Harper, 14, were avoiding Ali’s bedroom. George said he was careful in wearing gloves and wiping things down but had not been wearing a mask. “I have to get a little bit close sometimes to take her temperature and do the oxygen test… Usually she takes care of us 24 hours a day, and now we’re doing our best to take care of her.”
I’m not surprised that George ended up getting sick after taking care of Ali, despite being careful. I’ve yet to hear anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 say that they “feel great,” but I’m glad that George didn’t get as ill as Ali (or Chris Cuomo).
Last night Ali posted the video below where her family clapped for her when she came out of isolation after 16 days. She wrote that she was grateful for her health and that “It was a brutal and scary time. But I am one of the lucky ones.” She also encouraged everyone to isolate to help protect our healthcare and frontline workers.
This is what frightens me about this disease course. A person can feel nothing at all, or be very very symptomatic.
Me, too. I read somewhere that numbers of those infected might actually be double or triple what is being reported because some people don’t feel sick enough to qualify for a test. What has me baffled is that there doesnt seem to be a concrete reason, aside from age or underlying condition, why some people get so sick and others don’t. I mean I understand why a healthy, young NBA player might not get sick, but how does an ‘average’ 59 year old man feel fine while his wife feels miserable.
According to an article I was reading yesterday, some of us (and most particularly kids) have been exposed to a strain of coronavirus due to the common cold. It’s possible he’s been exposed before and had built up an immunity.
I’m from Michigan, we can’t get a test unless we’re meeting certain specifications. If he wasn’t showing any symptoms, how come he was able to get tested? or is his home state more caring?
No he’s a celebrity, that’s how
I’m in NYC. My cousin and a good friend ended up in the hospital 2 weeks ago with the exact same thing, appendicitis. They went to the same hospital within a few days of each other. My friend begged for a test and even had some mild symptoms and they told her she didn’t meet the criteria for one. My cousin was admitted the day my friend was discharged and was given a test without ever asking for one. My cousin suffers from seasonal asthma and is about 12 years younger than my friend, so not sure how they make the determination. I know a lot of people in CA who are getting tested as well.
It’s the same story around the country (exception: politicians and celebrities). I’m in NJ had mild symptoms, worked with co-workers who were positive and am immunocompromised. Still didn’t qualify for a test. I’m on a wait list from a month ago. Who knows if I had it because the flu is still active but the point is people should be able to get tests especially now. Instead it’s gotten even harder and that should be criminal.
This upsets me. I’m in NJ, also. In order to qualify in my county, you need a prescription. Is it different where you are?
Sorry for the delayed response FHMom. No, it’s the same. I actually had a prescription but still not enough. It’s insane.
He was DIRECTLY exposed to the virus. I do agree celebs get tested more frequently, but this is not an example of that.
But everyone else in that position who was directly exposed was told to assume they have it, self isolate, and only go get help if you have breathing trouble.
Testing has increased, but it still seems odd he got tested when he knew he was exposed and had no symptoms.
He was incredibly lucky to have virtually no symptoms, hope that continues for him. It sounds like absolute misery to those who are hit hard.
@Lucy
I do see your point.
I think he’s considered an essential worker, so his getting a test may be because of that, because there is a public interest in him not going out to work if he has it, even if he’s asymptomatic.
I’m glad she’s doing better and glad he didn’t get sicker. I am enjoying these glimpses into celebs’ lives. I had no idea they are together.
I think it will be really interesting when the antibody tests come out. People who thought they had the flu months ago may very well have had Covid-19. I was just thinking about how my son and I both had coughs in early March, no other major symptoms except headaches. Maybe it was a mild version of it.
So many people are looking back on recent episodes of sickness and wondering…it will be nice to get some answers.
Yes, and I know 2 people who passed away, one in late February in Florida and one in early March in New Jersey. Both had undying conditions. The Florida friend was hospitalized for other issues and the other was in rehab following a hospital stay. Now I wonder if it was Covid19.
I think it’s definitely been around a while. I work for a hospital in a department that files appeals to denied claims. The nurses I work with have said that in the last several months leading up to this there were quite an odd number of deaths or inpatient stays involving weird “upper respiratory infections”.
@L84Tea,
I agree. My 82y.o. mom is in a small town in northern VT and was terribly ill in January. Started w/ G.I. issues, then throat and chest and exhaustion. No fever, no pneumonia, still with lingering mild cough. They wouldn’t test because of the lack fever!! I think odds are quite high that she got it, and encourage her to follow up with her MD once antibody tests become available.
The peds office I work in is doing C19 swabbing even for people (kids and family) who think they have been exposed with little to no symptoms (e.g. a mom who works in a hospital). But we are a private office, so it’s completley up to our physicians’ discretion. I am looking forward to when we get the antibody test because all of us will be getting that in the office as soon as we have it. I hope I had a mild version in early March.
My goodness.
What country or state are you from that your MD has easy access to testing?
Wait, George Stephanopoulos is married to Schmoopie???
For almost 20 years.
When I first heard they got together I thought, ‘Really??’. But the more to see of him, the more they make sense together.
They are such a great couple.
He’s such a talented & respected journalist.
She had a talk show quite a long time ago, and she excelled at that position.
Oh, I forgot he was married to Seinfeld’s Schmoopie girl.
I’m worried about her dogs now. Animals can get it. Why was she sleeping with them? I get she was probably lonely, but I feel like that was risky.