Joy Behar Explains Decision to Take Time Off the "The View" During Coronavirus

From Oprah Magazine

In a pre-taped episode of The View, which aired this morning, co-host Joy Behar announced that she'll be taking a break from the show starting next week. Behar, 77, cited concerns over coronavirus as the reason behind her leave.

“I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy,” Behar said. “I don’t look my age, but I’m actually up there. The number makes me dizzy.”

Prevention.com has reported previously that older adults are among the highest risk groups for the novel coronavirus.

"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, previously told us. “Above age 50 is when you start to see more severe complications,” he explained, adding that older patients have a harder time recovering. “It’s just like the flu.” People with underlying health conditions—including heart and lung diseases, diabetes, pregnancy, and other immune-suppressing conditions—are also at a higher risk, Dr. Adalja says.

Behar spoke of a conversation with her daughter that also prompted her to make the decision. "This morning, I get a text from my daughter, Are you staying home? And I wrote, Well, I don't know, why? And she goes, Well, get in reality, mom. So I decided that I think I'm going to stay home for a while."

The View is one of several daytime talk shows that have chosen to cancel live audiences in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. While none of the other co-hosts—including Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and Meghan McCain—nor any crew members have been reported as testing positive for coronavirus, Behar said on-air that "the only person I'm listening to" is Anthony Fauci, M.D., who has served as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease since 1984 and has advised six presidents among others on global health issues including HIV/AIDS. "He says it's only getting worse," Behar explained, so for the sake of her health, she'll be staying home starting next week.

All of her co-hosts seemed to support her announcement during the live taping. Only McCain, who has been Behar's adversary on many political issues, has publicly tweeted her support so far:

To read all of Prevention.com's coverage on coronavirus, including how to protect you and your family, go here. For the latest updates and statistics, visit the CDC's website.

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