Andy Cohen Explains How He Dealt With Coronavirus as an Asthmatic
The WWHL host was advised by his doctor to use a simple tool to monitor his health.
Andy Cohen is back! After testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen host is feeling better, returning to work from his home office, and reuniting with his son, Ben.
On March 31, Andy called into TODAY to share an update on his health with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie. He opened up about the symptoms he experienced, and explained how he dealt with the virus as an asthmatic.
“My symptoms were a fever, tightness in my chest, a cough, very, very achy... some chills, loss of smell and appetite,” he explained. Savannah then asked Andy to describe how coronavirus felt different from the common cold or flu.
“It was lingering,” said Andy. “I’m asthmatic, but the tightness that I felt in my chest was different from the shortness of breath that I feel as an asthmatic. It was a low fever, it was no sense of smell or taste. Really achy throughout my body, just persistent aches that wouldn’t go away. Kind of a dry cough, not horrible, but there.”
The CDC has noted that coronavirus can be particularly dangerous for people with asthma. So how did Andy remain calm while he was sick? He explained that the use of a simple device helped manage his fears and monitor his health.
“It was a little scary, but the thing that really helped me is that my doctor recommended that I get something called a pulse oximeter,” said Andy. “It’s one of those little devices, you can get them at drug stores, and you stick your finger in it to take your pulse. What it also does is measure the level of oxygen that’s going to your lungs. And so for me, there were nights that I thought, ‘This doesn’t feel right,’ and I was able to use this pulse oximeter to see what the reading was.”
Andy explained that his doctor said to make sure the reading does not go below a certain level, and told him to call in the event that it did.
Overall, Andy said that the virus took about 11 days to “work its way” through his system. “I took a lot of Tylenol, drank a lot of vitamin c, and slept a lot,” he said.
For the latest, most accurate information on coronavirus, go to the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
