CBS Information “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl mentioned Sunday that she’s lastly feeling nicely after a battle with COVID-19 that left her hospitalized for per week.
Stahl mentioned she was “actually scared” after preventing pneumonia brought on by the coronavirus for 2 weeks at dwelling earlier than going to the hospital.
“One of many guidelines of journalism is ‘don’t turn into a part of the story,’ ” Stahl mentioned on the finish of Sunday’s broadcast. “However as an alternative of protecting the pandemic, I used to be one of many more-than-one-million People who did turn into a part of it.”
Stahl, 78, is the dean of correspondents at tv’s best-known newsmagazine. She joined “60 Minutes” in March 1991, and earlier than that was moderator of the Sunday speak present “Face the Nation” and a Washington correspondent.
She landed the primary tv interview with Donald Trump after he was elected president, and the primary with Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she turn into speaker — each in 2007 and once more in 2019.
Stahl mentioned there was a cluster of “60 Minutes” workers with the virus. One “had nearly no signs whereas others had nearly each symptom you may think about,” she mentioned. “Every case is totally different.”
Stahl mentioned she discovered an overworked and practically overwhelmed workers when she was hospitalized however paid tribute to their care, and mentioned she was wheeled out by way of a gauntlet of cheering medical staff when discharged.
“Within the face of a lot dying, they have fun their triumphs,” she mentioned.
60 Minutes declined to call the hospital concerned.
“Due to them, like so many different sufferers, I’m nicely now,” she mentioned. “Tonight, all of us owe them our gratitude, our admiration and, in some instances, our lives.”
Stahl is arguably probably the most outstanding tv journalist to reveal that they had the illness. CNN hosts Chris Cuomo and Brooke Baldwin have examined constructive, the previous persevering with his prime-time present whereas preventing signs. ABC “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos had it, however like many contaminated, had solely gentle signs.
The virus has contaminated 3.5 million folks and killed greater than 246,000 worldwide, together with greater than 66,000 useless in the US, based on a depend by Johns Hopkins College. Consultants say the numbers are seemingly bigger.