'Game of Thrones' Author Gives Update on COVID Symptoms Ahead of 'House of the Dragon' Premiere

Author George R.R. Martin had some good news for fans on Sunday – he has officially recovered from COVID-19. The man behind Game of Thrones posted a video on YouTube and on his blog saying that his coronavirus symptoms have almost entirely passed and he has finally tested negative for the virus. He then mused about what comes next – including a hopeful hint about House of the Dragon being renewed for a second season.

"I've been through the worst of it, and I guess I can shortly rejoin the land of the living," Martin said in Sunday's video. "Now I have no more symptoms, my test is negative... so that's looking good." Martin has been through a rocky road with COVID over the last couple of weeks. The author tentatively announced plans to attend San Diego Comic-Con last month, but a few days before the event he decided to cancel some of his events there due to the high levels of transmission at the time. In spite of these mitigation efforts, Martin announced last week that he had contracted the virus after all.

The timing was bad, as Martin was forced to miss the world premieres of House of the Dragon – the Game of Thrones prequel premiering later this month. He remarked on that in Sunday's video, saying the events "went off very well, I hear. I've seen pictures, I've seen interviews. I regret not being there, but it looks like the people who did get there had a great time. And the buzz that's coming out of it... the early reviews from people who saw the first episode is very, very positive. So I'm excited."

Finally, the most exciting thing for fans of Westeros was Martin's tantalizing remark that he and the other producers are "thinking about Season 2." So far, House of the Dragon has not been officially renewed by HBO yet so far as we know, but based on the early reviews many fans are confident that we will see this show go the distance. Showrunner Ryan Condal mentioned that he hopes to complete the current story in about four seasons, and if possible tackle other chapters of Westerosi history after that.

Martin is involved with House of the Dragon and with the other Game of Thrones TV spinoffs in development, as well as a few other screen productions as well. However, many fans are most excited for the 73-year-old author to recover and get back to work on the final two novels in A Song of Ice and Fire. Martin has hinted recently that he is making progress on The Winds of Winter, but has not said when it may come out.

In the meantime, House of the Dragon premieres on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. Its source material is Martin's book Fire & Blood, which is available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.