The pandemic isn’t over. Just as it did in 2020 and 2021, Hollywood’s A-list continues to be affected by COVID-19 in 2022 — but they largely attribute their fast recoveries to vaccines.
In January, Late Night With Seth Meyers only returned from holiday break for one show before suddenly having to go on hiatus amid the omicron variant’s prevalence.
“The bad news is, I tested positive for COVID (thanks, 2022!) the good news is, I feel fine (thanks vaccines and booster!),” Seth Meyers wrote via Twitter on January 4. “We are canceling the rest of the shows this week, so tune in next Monday to see what cool location we will try and pass off as a studio!!!”
Meyers’ fellow NBC late night host Jimmy Fallon revealed a day prior that he’d recently recovered from COVID-19. The Saturday Night Live alum made it clear that he tested negative before returning to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 3.
“Hey guys, on the first day of our holiday break I tested positive for Covid,” he captioned a photo via Instagram of himself masked in a room marked “reserved for testing use.” The room was decorated with an iconic Diff’rent Strokes quote, which Fallon appreciated.
He continued, “I was vaccinated and boostered which made me lucky enough to only have mild symptoms. Thank you to the doctors and nurses who work so hard around the clock to get everyone vaxxed. Thank you to NBC for taking the testing protocols so seriously and doing a great job – and also thanks for putting me in the ‘What ‘chu talkin’ about Willis?’ isolation room when they told me the news.”
In the comments section, Fallon told a fan that he completely recovered, writing, “The positive came back on 12/18. Back at work today and feeling 100%!”
The NBC hosts both advocated for vaccination. As of January, the CDC recommended a booster shot for people over age 16 five months after completing the primary series. Meyers and Fallon each had a booster before testing positive.
Similarly, Whoopi Goldberg also had a breakthrough case amid the highly contagious variant’s spread. Her View cohost Joy Behar announced the news on January 3 and said the Sister Act star was expected to be fully recovered within a week.
“Why am I here instead of Whoopi? Well, Whoopi, unfortunately, tested positive over the break, but she’ll be back probably next week,” Behar explained. “Since she’s vaxxed and boosted, her symptoms have been very, very, mild. But we’re being super cautious here at The View.”
The daytime talk show opted to film remotely for the week in the midst of Goldberg’s positive test.
“They say there’s no place like home for the holidays and that’s exactly where we are this year,” Behar said. “Happy New Year from all of our living rooms. As you can see, we’re back in boxes and doing the show remotely — hopefully for just a week. I’m praying that it’s just a week, but you never know because this omicron thing is all over the place.”
See the stars who have tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022: