Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals She Had COVID-19 ‘Early On’ and Had Long-Term Symptoms

Gwyneth Paltrow is opening up about her long-lasting experience with COVID-19 side effects. The actress, 48, shared in a new post on her Goop website that she had been “feeling energized” over the last month and was focusing on getting her health back after contracting the coronavirus “early on” and dealing with “some long-tail fatigue and brain fog” as a result.

After tests in January showed “really high levels of inflammation” in her body, Paltrow said she turned to functional medicine practitioner Dr. Will Cole, who told her “the road to healing was going to be longer than usual.” While recovering from the virus, Paltrow put a major focus on what she eats and drinks, going with a flexible keto and plant-based diet and cutting out sugar and alcohol.

“So I’ve been cooking a lot, and some of it is really delicious: I made scallops with crispy capers and sage the other day, asparagus with bacon vinaigrette, and some little artichokes with stuffed herbs and garlic,” Paltrow wrote, adding that she’s been “using lots of coconut aminos in my recipes.”

The change has been working for the Iron Man actress, who said she planned on extending the way she was eating and treating her body through the first quarter of 2021 to see how it affects her. “Everything I’m doing feels good, like a gift to my body,” she wrote, noting that her energy has returned and she is able to work out in the mornings. Additionally, Paltrow has been doing an infrared sauna “as often as I can, all in the service of healing.” There have been benefits aside from helping the star recover from COVID. “A side benefit is my skin, which makes me happy—and makes me want to double down on skin care even more,” she wrote. “Let’s make 2021 the year of never needing makeup, people!”

Paltrow spoke in April to British Vogue about her life in early coronavirus quarantine, explaining that it is more important than ever to take time for self-care amid these difficult times. “Between work, general anxiety, two teenagers and making sure everyone gets fed, making time for self-care can feel gratuitous,” she said at the time, detailing her own routine. At the end of each day, the Oscar winner carves out 20 minutes to draw a bath, put on a face mask, and relax with a book or a podcast, which she said at the time was paired “often with a heavy pour of Japanese whiskey.”