George Stephanopoulos 'Feeling Fine' as He Cares for Ali Wentworth After Her Coronavirus Diagnosis
George Stephanopoulos is doing what he can to care for wife Ali Wentworth as she battles the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Thursday’s broadcast of Good Morning America, the cohost updated viewers about how his family was handling Wentworth’s diagnosis and shared a video from his wife describing her experience with the virus.
“It goes for her in cycles. Nights can be pretty rough,” Stephanopoulos told Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts.
“When I woke up this morning around 3, 3:30, she was doing okay,” he added. “Last night, her fever was actually down a little bit … which is good. And like so many people, Robin, she is checking her oxygen every few hours or so. We talked to the doctor about that. There are these little monitors that you can stick your finger in and tell how much oxygen your lungs are getting and, so far, that’s the most important thing for her.”
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The journalist then added that he personally is “feeling fine,” and hasn’t exhibited any symptoms while taking care of his wife, who has quarantined in the couple’s bedroom.
Stephanopoulos, 59, is the only one in the household who enters the room to care for her, bringing Wentworth food and checking her temperature and oxygen levels. He told viewers that he always makes sure to wipe down anything he touches and wears gloves when he enters the room.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Ali Wentworth
“So far I’m feeling physically fine. There are obviously several things to do around the house. The girls care about their mother, but are in a pretty healthy state of denial,” Stephanopoulos said of the couple’s two children, Elliott Anastasia, 17, and Harper Andrea, 14. “They’re going around doing their school work, checking in on their mom. They’re feeling okay so far as well and have been pitching in around the house to take care of everything.”
“Usually she [Wentworth] takes care of us 24 hours a day and now we’re doing our best to take care of her,” he added.
The actress, 55, first opened up about her diagnosis in an Instagram post on Wednesday, describing it as “pure misery.”
During Thursday’s GMA episode, she went into further detail about some of the symptoms she’s experienced before and after getting her test results.
“What started was I had a real tightness in my chest,” she said in a video. “I was walking my dog Cooper, and I just felt very, very winded and I assumed, of course, it was because I never work out and I’m out of shape, but it was too heavy for that.”
“And I came home, wasn’t feeling great and it wasn’t until the fever started that I realized this can’t be a common summer cold,” Wentworth continued. “I went and got tested … which was three days ago, and now I’ve had high fevers, sort of 101, 103 [degrees Fahrenheit].”
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The Nightcap star added, “Achy joints is a big thing. It feels like a really, really horrible flu. And you know, I’m still in it now, but I can tell you the things that help [are] Tylenol, chicken soup. I took some hot baths when I had chills and I have two dogs that sleep on my bed with me.”
“So anyway. Be safe. Stay home,” she concluded.
After Wentworth began showing symptoms of the virus, Stephanopoulos announced that he would be joining the growing list of morning TV personalities working remotely amid the health crisis. He now appears on the broadcast from his home.
As of Thursday morning, April 2, there are at least 214,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 4,800 deaths in the United States alone — as the virus has spread around the world, leading the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.
