Rachel Maddow Returns to Air, Describes Partner’s Virus Bout

Rachel Maddow made an emotional return Thursday to her MSNBC show, saying her partner’s bout with COVID-19 was so serious they thought it might kill her.

Maddow has been off the air for roughly two weeks since disclosing she had been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Maddow didn’t disclose who it was at the time, but said Thursday evening it was her partner, Susan Mikula.

“At one point, we really thought it was a possibility it might kill her and that’s why I’ve been away,” Maddow said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said Thursday he wanted to assure Americans of the safety of the vaccines currently in development. “The process of the speed did not compromise at all safety, nor did it compromise scientific integrity,” Fauci said.

“She is the center of my life,” she added.

Maddow said her partner is recovering and will be OK, but that it didn’t seem that way at the outset of her illness. Maddow said she’s tested negative so far for the virus.

She is the host of MSNBC’s most-watched show and did the broadcast from inside her home, encountering some technical difficulties before laying out their coronavirus experience.

Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, on Thursday issued a warning to Americans as cases rise around the country. “We want to call on every American to increase their vigilance,” Birx said. She also urged people to limit gatherings and wear masks as the country sees a surge in asymptomatic cases.

“Don’t get this thing. Do whatever you can to keep from getting it,” Maddow said. “For Thanksgiving next week, you really are just going to have it at home without people coming over.”

Maddow said her quarantine would end soon, but she’d be “broadcasting like this until it’s safe for me to be around my coworkers.”