- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Hoda Kotb has tested positive for COVID-19 amid a surge of cases in New York City over the last month.
The Today show anchor’s breakthrough case was first reported on the NBC morning show Thursday, with co-anchor Craig Melvin confirming the news on air. “She tested positive for COVID but Hoda tells us that she’s doing just fine, and we look forward to having her back very, very soon,” Melvin said during the show’s third hour.
On Twitter, Kotb confirmed the news herself, briefly stating that she’s “feeling good” after thanking people for their well-wishes.
Thx for well wishes! Feeling good.. ❤️ cant wait to see you all when I am in the clear! Xo
— Hoda Kotb (@hodakotb) January 6, 2022
Today reported that Kotb is vaccinated and has received a booster shot. The anchor is currently isolating at home, and it is unclear when she expected to return.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Today show for comment.
Related Stories
During Today With Hoda & Jenna, co-host Jenna Bush Hager and Today third-hour co-anchor Sheinelle Jones also spoke about Kotb, with Jones calling the longtime host “a rockstar.”
“I was around her. I had it. I mean, she’s been able to dodge all of our craziness,” Jones said.
Bush Hager also shared that she had been texting with her Today co-host and that her symptoms are “pretty mild.”
“Like so many others, she tested positive for COVID,” Bush Hager said. “She’s doing totally fine, and she’ll be back here pretty soon.”
Kotb’s positive test follows several other notable TV hosts, particularly across late night, that have recently tested positive amid the ongoing omicron surge, which has made the variant the most dominant strain in the U.S at more than 95 percent of current cases, according to the CDC. That includes The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon, who has since returned to filming and Late Night’s Seth Meyers, who canceled a week of shows on Tuesday after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Beginning in early December, the COVID-19 positivity rate has dramatically soared across the U.S. according to the CDC’s daily case report, with The New York Times’ own COVID tracker reporting 585,535 cases on Jan. 5, a 247 percent increase over a 14-day period.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day