Neil Patrick Harris is opening up about his family’s scary experience with the novel coronavirus.
During Tuesday’s broadcast of the Today show, the 47-year-old actor revealed that he and his husband David Burtka, as well as their 9-year-old twins Gideon and Harper, contracted COVID-19 earlier this year when cases in the United States had just started climbing. Oh no!
Related: Couple Dies Of Coronavirus 4 Minutes Apart While Holding Hands
It’s unclear who got sick first, but the How I Met Your Mother star said the way his early symptoms progressed was a big red flag indicating that something was off among his family. He recalled how they all went on high alert after that:
“It happened very early [in the pandemic], like late March, early April. We were doing our best before, and I thought I had the flu, and 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.”
Smart thinking!
The sudden loss of taste and smell appears to be a common early sign of someone who might have coronavirus. According to the CDC, the symptom can last a few days and in some cases, or for the entire length of the infection. It’s also possible to get COVID and not experience that particular change in your senses, too, though it sounds like this was a textbook case in this scenario.
Harris went on to clarify that everyone is doing much better at home recovering, which is so great to hear! He said:
“It was not pleasant, but we got through it.”
The comedic actor added that he and his family now “have antibodies and are feeling good,” adding:
“We want to make sure everyone’s doing their best to slow this down every way possible, for sure.”
It sucks to hear what they went through and although they’re on the mend, there’s no telling what sort of complications they may face later down the line. Health officials are still learning more about the coronavirus every day — and we appreciate the way Neil was so transparent about it to spread awareness!
Quick note: the CDC also warns that testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies indicates that a person has been exposed to the novel virus, but it may not be fully accurate and should not be used to determine if someone is immune to getting it again.
Earlier this month, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also revealed that he and his entire family got sick with coronavirus, too. He shared a powerful Instagram message about what you can do to protect yourself and others — take his advice, NPH’s experience, and the stories of so many others as a reminder to be safe and diligent until this pandemic is finally over!
[Image via David Burtka/Instagram]
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