Howard Reveals He Caught COVID-19 Over the Break

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The Stern Show kicked off 2024 with a bang Monday morning, but as Howard quickly noted the show’s return had come a week later than he’d originally anticipated. “You might not realize it, but we were supposed to be on the air last week,” he told listeners. “We were not here last week because I got COVID-19.”

“Holy shit did I get it,” he added.

Howard didn’t believe he was still contagious, but co-host Robin Quivers wasn’t taking any chances. “I’m not getting near you,” she joked.

While Howard couldn’t pinpoint precisely how he contracted COVID, he did stress that the virus wasn’t to be taken lightly. “Man, I went through hell … I’ve really never been this sick,” he said before thanking the hardworking doctors and scientists who helped develop a vaccine. “What a wallop this thing is – can you imagine if we didn’t have the vaccine?”

Finally, he took a few minutes to thank everyone who kept him entertained while he was bed-ridden and recovering from his symptoms. “All I watched on Netflix was this show called ‘S.W.A.T.,’” Howard said. “I want to say to them guys on the S.W.A.T. team – Hondo, Chris, Luca: … You guys are all my buddies. Thank you so much.”