'The View': Whoopi Goldberg Gives Health Update Amid Her COVID Absence

Whoopi Goldberg made a long-distance cameo on The View on Wednesday as she continues to recover from COVID-19. The comedian tested positive for COVID before the show's season premiere on Tuesday, but the next day she sent a video message to her co-hosts. She made a few jokes about the biggest headlines of the week as she promised to return as soon as she is healthy.

"I am not at Burning Man. I am not still in Italy. I'm not trying to change the outcome of the election. I just have COVID," Goldberg said with a mask on for effect. "I'm still testing positive. I have to have a clear test before I can come back, so it might be a couple of days, but I'm really thrilled to see the beautiful new desk. I'm really thrilled to see all the beautiful women... I'm sending you all great love and can't wait to get back to our favorite place, The View."

The View entered its 27th season on Tuesday with co-hosts Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro. Goldberg's customary seat was left empty. Many fans noted that the show typically tweaks its line-up between seasons, but this year the panel is staying exactly the same. As usual, it did not shy away from any sensitive subjects.

Case in point – Behar mentioned the ongoing conspiracy theories about COVID-19 alongside Goldberg's message on Wednesday. She said: "People write, 'Well, she got the vaccination, how come she still gets it?' Because she's not dead, she's just a little bit under the weather! If you don't get [the vaccine] and you get the disease, you might die... This type of irrational talk drives me nuts."

In her own social media posts, Behar predicted that Goldberg will be cleared to return to work by the end of this week. It's not clear when she first tested positive for the virus, but the current CDC recommendations advise people to self-isolate for at least five days after COVID-19 symptoms begin. If the person's symptoms are gone and they test negative for the virus, they may stop isolating in as little as five days.

This is the third time Goldberg has missed work due to COVID-19 – she was absent from a few episodes of The View in November of 2022 due to the virus and a few more in February of 2023. The show goes on without her, and fans are sending their well-wishes online.