CNN’s Brooke Baldwin Details Just How Different Coronavirus Feels From The Flu

Brooke Baldwin on Monday broke down the various ways that her fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, felt different from a seasonal flu infection.

The CNN anchor dialed into her own program for a chat about her ongoing recovery. Brianna Keilar, who has hosted Baldwin’s program in her absence, recalled also substituting for “Newsroom” a few years ago when Baldwin was sick with the seasonal flu. Keilar asked Baldwin how the experiences compared.

“You go into the flu, it’s awful, but you know it’s basically a finite five days, knock-down drag-out fight with your body, you know. It’s a virus, you know you can’t take anything for it, and you just sit in bed,” Baldwin responded.

“With coronavirus, it’s like ‘Oh I’m kinda ok,’ in the beginning and then ‘Oh no you’re not.’”

Echoing her previous descriptions of the virus’ “relentless” attacks on her body, Baldwin said her body “gave me the middle finger,” and that she was one of the lucky ones whose lungs held up. “Then you get a little bit better, and then my worst night came at around night 9. You just don’t know what you’re headed for.”

Lastly, she said, the scary part is not knowing how the coronavirus will affect you.

“This is not a cookie-cutter virus, it affects everyone differently, and I had no idea what I was getting into. And I think that was part of the fear, it was that and the isolation and just not knowing when it would end.”

Baldwin announced on April 3 that she had tested positive for the virus and has taken time off work since to recover and quarantine. Over the weekend, she shared a detailed and personal reflection of the “two-week beating” and emotional distress the virus inflicted on her but said she’s much better and hopes to be back at work by April 27.

Check out her Monday appearance on CNN below.