Andy Cohen got back to work Monday, nearly two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. On his SiriusXM radio show, the Bravo personality shared with his listeners what it’s like to have coronavirus and how he recovered.
“I felt like I wanted to recuperate quietly,” he said on Andy Cohen Live. “It took about 10 or 11 days, I would say, to work through my system. You know, It takes a bit to get your energy back.”
“My symptoms were a fever, tightness in my chest, a cough,” Cohen explained, noting he was “very, very achy” in his body. The Watch What Happens Live host said that even making toast was challenging. Other symptoms included “chills, loss of smell and appetite.”
Cohen found relief in over-the-counter medication, revealing he “took a lot of Tylenol, I took a lot of Vitamin C and liquids.”
The producer added, “One thing I can recommend to people that made me feel really good about having… [is] a pulse oximeter.”
A pulse oximeter goes on a person’s finger and monitors lung activity. It’s sold over the counter at drug stores and online.
“It not only takes your pulse, but measures how much oxygen you’re getting to your lungs,” Cohen shared. “My doctor told me what the reading would be in case it would be a cause for alarm.”
Cohen said monitoring his oxygen at home kept him away from the hospital should he start to worry.
“You could scare yourself and think, ‘Oh my God, my lungs don’t feel right,’ but you could use this pulse oximeter and see, ‘OK, well actually, you’re fine, you’re within the range,’” he explained.
“So that’s my pro-tip,” Cohen continued. “Make sure you have Tylenol and a pulse oximeter.”
The late night host called Monday a “huge day” — not only because WWHL returns with guests Nene Leakes, Lisa Rinna and Jerry O’Connell — but because he finally gets to see his 1-year-old son, Ben.
“I have been quarantined from Ben for the last 12 days or so and I’m going to get to see him right after the show,” Cohen said eagerly.
“Two doctors said it would be safe to see him yesterday, and I freaked out on Saturday night, worried,” Cohen admitted, so he “added a day” to his quarantine.