Fans Show Support After Joy Behar Announces Break From 'The View' During Coronavirus Outbreak

From Good Housekeeping

The View's Joy Behar will be taking some time off amid the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus.

During a pre-taped show that aired on Friday, the 77-year-old co-host explained that she received a text from her daughter, Eve, urging her to stay home because of concerns over the coronavirus. "[My daughter] said 'get in reality, Mom,' so I decided to stay home for a little while," Joy said.

She went on to say that it's her age that is the concern, not any underlining health issue. "I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy,” Joy explained. "But I'm doing this myself."

Along with people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease, older adults are among the highest-risk groups for contracting COVID-19. "The majority of deaths from coronavirus have been in the elderly," infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Prevention earlier this month. “Above age 50 is when you start to see more severe complications,” he explained, adding that older patients have a harder time recovering.

As of right now, Joy will be off The View beginning Monday, March 16, and her return date hasn't been set. It's unclear if someone will fill her place on the panel during her break. As of right now, Joy's fellow co-hosts — Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain, and Sunny Hostin — will continue to appear on the program.

Neither Joy nor anyone involved with the daytime program have tested positive for COVID-19, according to ABC News. Still, as a safety precaution, ABC began taping View episodes without a studio audience this week — a first for the 22-year-old show.

So far, Joy's fans and her co-stars completely understand and respect her decision, with many taking to social media to show their support.

The View is one of many TV programs that have altered their production plans out of safety concerns. Several late-night shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, have suspended taping altogether in hopes of combating the spread of the virus, according to The New York Times (the shows had previously announced that they would continue filming with no studio audience). What's more, The Price Is Right is reportedly delaying production for two weeks as well, and several other scripted television shows, including Grey's Anatomy and Riverdale, have delayed production in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

For helpful resources regarding coronavirus, visit: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Coronavirus Disease 2019 fact page and The National Association of County and City Health Officials' directory of local health departments.

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