CNN's Brooke Baldwin cleared of coronavirus, shares video of coronavirus nasal swab test: 'Brain tickler'
Brooke Baldwin is virus free. The CNN Newsroom host announced on Thursday that she tested negative for the coronavirus just 20 days after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 in early April. Now, she hopes to “do some good” by helping those currently ill while gearing up to return to television on the 27th.
Baldwin shared the good news with everyone on her Instagram by posting a video of her recent nasal swab test, which she explained she had to do in order to donate plasma.
“I need an antibody test. And to get an antibody test, I needed a negative #COVID19 result. So... there ya go,” she captioned the video. She also noted, “they call the coronavirus test a ‘brain tickler’ for a reason.”
The video struck a chord with some followers who likened the test to a “nasal colonoscopy.”
“Ouch that hurt to watch,” one person commented, while another wrote, “They should show this on tv, people would wear masks for sure.”
Aside from the cringe-worthy video of the test, however, most were thrilled to hear that she had received a clean bill of health after over two weeks of battling the illness.
Baldwin had first announced that she was sick with the coronavirus on April 3. She has since provided updates on her illness on social media, highlighting particularly difficult nights or days where she felt that she was on the mend. Finally, on Friday she shared that 14 days after her diagnosis she was feeling better.
Some symptoms remained, like lack of smell or taste and a bit of a cough. Two days later, the 40-year-old published a “Coronavirus Diary” where she detailed the worst of her aches, fever and chills throughout the illness. “Over two weeks, the fever, chills, and aches would sometimes leave just long enough to fool me into thinking I was finally recovering. Then they would revisit me with a vengeance,” she wrote. “I never knew when it would end. It was relentless, scary, and lonely.”
As of Thursday’s update, Baldwin has officially seen the end of the virus. “Thank you again to the docs and the nurses on the frontlines doing the real work,” she wrote. “Again THANK YOU for all your love and support and messages.”
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.
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