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  • Our first guest is a CNN anchor who

  • just returned to work after recovering from COVID-19.

  • She wrote a powerful essay about what

  • it's like to battle a virus.

  • Please welcome Brooke Baldwin.

  • Ellen, this is so fun.

  • It was like, in the same week, I got

  • my coronavirus negative test, but the better part in the end

  • was the call from you.

  • I am such a fan.

  • Thank you so much.

  • Oh, thank you so much.

  • That's really sweet of you to say and nice to hear.

  • It's so fascinating, because we're all

  • talking to and hearing from different people who

  • have had this.

  • And all of the symptoms are different for everybody.

  • So first of all, you look good.

  • You look healthy.

  • You feel good right now?

  • Yeah, I feel solid.

  • I feel, like, maybe 90%.

  • I knew I was doing better when I was able to slow walk--

  • where's Andy--

  • slow walk to the Brooklyn Bridge.

  • So that was my--

  • there you are.

  • Slow walk.

  • I was slow walking.

  • There she is.

  • Slow walking.

  • Ellen, she's part of the movement.

  • All right.

  • Yes, no, I'm so much better.

  • I'm so much better.

  • So when you say--

  • well, we'll get to that in a second,

  • because I want to hear all about it.

  • But you posted a video of getting tested,

  • which in itself looks terrible.

  • I mean, they really have to shove that thing up your nose.

  • The doctors-- first of all, they have

  • you sit there in this chair.

  • And he's like, could you please put your head against the wall,

  • because the last thing you want to do

  • is walk out of the hospital with coronavirus and a concussion.

  • But you can see how deeply they shove that up.

  • He called it a brain tickler.

  • And it tickled something.

  • It did not feel great.

  • Wow.

  • Yeah, no, that looks horrible just in itself.

  • So when did you start noticing symptoms?

  • And was it the same-- because some people have a completely

  • different experience.

  • So what was yours?

  • Yeah, no, I watched your interview with Pink.

  • And I'm so glad she and her child are OK.

  • And I think it's not a cookie-cutter virus.

  • So for me, I had woken up one morning,

  • and I had just severe chills, and just wasn't feeling great,

  • but I wasn't in pain.

  • And so of course what did I do?

  • I blamed it on my husband and him turning off the heater

  • the night before, because it's been cold

  • here in New York City.

  • And I went about my daily-- went to work, was fine.

  • And then the next day, as I was at work,

  • that's when it really hit me.

  • And I had really deep chills.

  • I ultimately had a fever.

  • And kind of got through it, like how we tell ourselves.

  • I didn't want to tell anyone out loud

  • that I was feeling like crap.

  • Got through a two-hour--

  • I got through the one-hour show, and then came home,

  • crawled under a ton of blankets.

  • That's when my husband felt my forehand, took the took

  • the temperature.

  • It was a fever.

  • And that's when I was like, oh boy, this might be it.

  • And then your husband--

  • so you said he felt your forehead.

  • So obviously-- and you're living together.

  • Did he get it?

  • He didn't, thank goodness-- or at least that we think.

  • I'd love to get him an antibody test to see if he truly

  • is Superman or not.

  • But no, he hasn't gotten it.

  • And he was able to take care of me,

  • thank goodness, the whole horrible two weeks.

  • Yeah, so it was two weeks for you.

  • What shocked me was around day nine or 10--

  • and this is the part about the virus that's so frustrating

  • and sad--

  • is that it hit me the worst farther in.

  • And that's when I had the worst fever, and the worst chills,

  • and the worst body aches.

  • And it's incredibly frustrating.

  • And there were more than a few tears in my house.

  • Wow.

  • Well, first of all, I always know when

  • I have a fever because I cry.

  • If I have a fever at all, I cry.

  • So I can't imagine-- if I got this thing,

  • I can't imagine what I would be like.

  • Because any fever-- like Portia that doesn't even

  • have to take my temperature.

  • If I'm crying, I have a fever.

  • But besides the aches-- because I

  • read about the taking the baths and stuff--

  • but what is the hardest about this virus?

  • Like what hurts the most?

  • Such a good question.

  • I think, beyond the physicality of it-- the aches, the chills,

  • the fever--

  • it's how it messes with you emotionally.

  • So for me, it would get worse in the evenings.

  • And when the body aches would start

  • in the late afternoon/early evening,

  • it was not knowing what was to come.

  • It was, when would the night beast arrive?

  • And it was, when would it end?

  • I just want to interject.

  • Brooke's essay was amazing, because it really

  • took through the whole journey.

  • Yeah, it really was.

  • I think that it would be interesting for everybody

  • to write the way you did so that you really understand it.

  • Because to be able even have the strength to journal it

  • and to do that--

  • and you wrote in the essay about a silver lining.

  • So tell everybody what that silver

  • lining is that you found.

  • Yeah, I mean, listen, I wouldn't wish this virus on anyone.

  • But I think when we are knocked on our butts

  • and really end up with a ton of time on our hands

  • and feeling like crap, you go to a deeper place.

  • And so for me, I think it was both--

  • I had some serious clarity as I was my sickest,

  • and I also was so blessed with the gift of connection.

  • So in terms of clarity, it's like, we're all so busy,

  • and we've got stuff on the calendar in normal times,

  • right?

  • And we've got distractions and everything else.

  • But when you have coronavirus and when

  • you are feeling so bad, for me, I just stop thinking,

  • and I went deep into feeling.

  • And for me that meant thinking a lot about joy.

  • I was like, Brooke, why don't you go to the beach more often?

  • Or I thought about my career and my path.

  • And I thought, of course I want to continue my day job of being

  • a journalist, but I really want to pursue

  • this other path of creating inspirational television

  • for women.

  • Or about-- I got my mom on the phone

  • and told her to get off the sofa and onto this treadmill that

  • was collecting dust in her basement.

  • Like, enough, I need more of you.

  • And I think when it comes to connection-- as a journalist,

  • my resting state is like, OK, let's not talk about me,

  • let's talk about you.

  • I want interview you.

  • That's when I'm most comfortable.

  • And so when I suddenly receive all of these texts,

  • and emails, and Instagram DMs from all these people, Ellen,

  • I mean, at first, to be honest, I didn't feel worthy.

  • And it felt vulnerable.

  • But I realized that vulnerability

  • leads to greater connection.

  • And that's when I really leaned into the love, and the support,

  • and the prayers.

  • And that is what honestly helped get me through.

  • Well, now I feel guilty for not reaching out to you.

  • But I didn't know you.

  • But even though I didn't know you--

  • [LAUGHS]

  • All right, we're going to take a break,

  • and we'll talk more with Brooke after this.

  • Hey, we're back with Brooke Baldwin.

  • We haven't gone anywhere.

  • Where are we going to go?

  • We're back.

  • I mean, we've been here.

  • I'm so happy that you're back at work.

  • And it must be so great to just be on the air again and working

  • again.

  • It is.

  • I'll admit, I was--

  • you know, you've done this job for a long time.

  • You get used to talking to people and being on television.

  • But for me, I'll admit, as I was walking in that studio,

  • I felt my heart go, sweaty palms.

  • I felt nervous.

  • But I think it's because I have a stake in this

  • now as a journalist as I talk to these family members right who

  • have loved ones in the hospital.

  • Which again, I was one of the lucky ones,

  • and never have to deal with the severity of the virus that way.

  • But I care a lot.

  • And I think that--

  • I love getting nervous because it tells me I care.

  • Well, I know that you have a lot of help.

  • You have Sanjay Gupta, who I would just be

  • on the phone with him nonstop.

  • I mean, was he your first call?

  • He's a busy guy, Ellen.

  • He's a busy guy.

  • I mean, I know I ended up with coronavirus,

  • but I didn't want to blow him up too much.

  • But he was one of my first texts, I will say.

  • But I didn't want to bother him too much.

  • Didn't want to take advantage of that.

  • Well, all right, I love that you're healthy now.

  • And you want to help people who are still sick.

  • I know you're trying to get FDA-approved antibody tests,

  • right?

  • Yeah, so I'm trying to get an antibody test.

  • It's amazing how many tests are out there.

  • But how many of those tests are actually reliable and accurate?

  • So number one, we need to get on that.

  • And number two, I want to be able to donate my plasma.

  • So a plasma test-- basically since I've had coronavirus,

  • I now have antibodies in my blood

  • that can attack the virus.

  • And so it's my understanding-- and I'm not Dr. Baldwin here,

  • but from what I've read, I think I can then give my blood,

  • and by giving my blood I can help at least four people--

  • potentially saving their lives-- who are sick.

  • So I'm really hoping to do that.

  • Yeah.

  • That's amazing.

  • I hope that that's all true and works.

  • You lost your sense of smell and taste.

  • Not everybody does, but you did.

  • And I heard there's something that you really, really missed.

  • And what is that?

  • [EMBARRASSED CHUCKLE]

  • Yes.

  • I miss champagne.

  • I miss bubbly.

  • I almost have it all back but not entirely.

  • But I cannot wait to taste the perfect--

  • I'm a champagne gal.

  • I love it and I can't wait.

  • Well, I'm glad you're feeling better.

  • If you'll just go to your door, there's

  • something outside your door for you.

  • [SQUEALS]

  • Did your husband bring it in?

  • Hold on.

  • Let me see if I can pick it up.

  • Oh, no, there's no way I can.

  • Hold on, let me move my--

  • look at this.

  • I cannot believe-- of course you did,

  • because you're Ellen DeGeneres.

  • Of course you did.

  • Yeah.

  • You guys.

  • When you get your taste back, enjoy, and raise a glass

  • to just being an amazing person and sharing your experience

  • with everyone.

  • Thank you so much.

  • I'm so glad you're back on the air, I can see you again.

  • And next time I'll know to reach out to people

  • that, even if I don't know them, if I feel like I should reach

  • out, I think that's one thing we should all learn about,

  • is reaching out and being kind to people

  • that we have a connection with.

  • So thank you so much, Brooke.

  • You can read Brooke's essay on CNN,

  • and watch weekdays on "CNN Newsroom."

  • And we'll be back after this.

  • Brooke, thank you so much.

  • Bye, Brooke.

  • Thank you.

Our first guest is a CNN anchor who

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