Neil Patrick Harris is opening up about his battle with COVID-19.
On Tuesday (September 15), Neil went on the Today show and revealed that he and his family – hubby David Burtka, and their two children, 9-year-old twins Harper and Gideon – contracted the virus sometime during the start of the pandemic.
“It happened very early… like late March, early April,” Neil said.
He also noted that they were doing their best to follow precautions, but then, he started coming down with what originally thought was the flu.
“I didn’t want to be paranoid about it. And then I lost my sense of taste and smell, which was a big indicator, so we holed up,” he revealed.
According to the CDC website, the loss of taste or smell is one of the possible symptoms of COVID-19, along with fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.
Fortunately, it appears as though they’ve all recovered from the virus. At the start of the interview, Neil shared that “we feel great.”
However, the recovery process wasn’t exactly his cup of tea.
“It was not pleasant, but we got through it and have antibodies and are feeling good,” he said.
“We want to make sure everyone’s doing their best to slow this down every way possible, for sure,” he added.
Neil and his family aren’t the only celebrities who have battled COVID-19. Several celebrities have opened up about their diagnosis. Just earlier this month, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also revealed to fans that he and his family – wife, Lauren Hashian, and their daughters, Jasmine, 4, and Tiana, 2 – are recovering after testing positive for COVID-19.
“I wanted to give you guys a little helpful update on things that have been going on on my end for the past two-and-a-half to three weeks now. So the update is this: my wife Lauren as well as my two baby girls and myself, we have all tested positive for COVID-19,” he shared in an 11-minute Instagram video Wednesday (Sept 2). “I could tell you that this has been one of the most challenging and difficult things we have ever had to endure as a family, and for me, too, personally as well…And I’ve gone through some doozies in the past.”
“Testing positive for COVID-19 is much different than overcoming nasty injuries, or being evicted, or even being broke, which I have been more than a few times,” he said, adding, “My no.1 priority is to always protect my family. And protect my children, my loved ones.”
And the Jumanji: The Next Level star knows how lucky they are to be able to bounce back from COVID-19.
“We are counting our blessings right now because we’re well aware that it isn’t always the case that you get on the other end of COVID-19 stronger and healthier. I have had some of my best friends have lost their parents, their loved ones, to this virus that is so incredibly relentless and unforgiving, and it is insidious,” he said.
He also urged fans to practice safety measures against the virus. “My message to all of you around the 🌎Stay disciplined. Boost your immune system. Commit to wellness. Wear your mask. Protect your family. Be strict about having people over your house or gatherings. Stay positive. And care for your fellow human beings. Stay healthy, my friends,” he wrote in the caption.
Take care and stay safe, everyone!
