She had a COVID-19 scare which turned out to be an abdominal infection instead.
Comedian Kathy Griffin took to Twitter on Saturday to update her fans as she continued her recovery while isolating at home.
The 59-year-old comedian and actress also shared a distressing update about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the hospital she went to.
On the mend: Kathy Griffin, 59, revealed she was feeling better but still ‘bleh’ after being released from the hospital Friday into home isolation; pictured in July
Though Kathy seemed to be doing better at home, she still wasn’t feeling at her best.
‘I’m now isolating at home. Feeling bleh, but big thanks to the ER staff,’ she wrote, adding, ‘I hope we don’t have to see each other again:).’
But more concerning was part of her tweet about the protective gear hospital workers had on while she was getting her symptoms checked out.
‘None of the health care workers had even this level of #coronavirus protective gear (#PPE) on when I was in the #covid19 isolation ward two days ago,’ she wrote.
Not protected: Kathy tweeted that she was isolating at home after being discharged, but also revealed that healthcare workers in the coronavirus ward didn’t have adequate PPE
Suited up: She quoted a tweet featuring a photo of a provider decked out in a full-body suit, a mask and vinyl gloves. Doctors across the country have been running low on PPE
The My Life On The D-List star was quoting a tweet by TV writer David Slack, who shared a link for a GoFundMe raising money to buy masks and other kinds of PPE for healthcare providers at Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles.
The accompanying photo pictured one worker in a full bodysuit with a mask and vinyl gloves.
Hospitals across the country have been reporting shortages of protective gear as they’re swamped with COVID-19 cases, and some professionals have reported having to rewear the same mask for multiple days.
Later on Saturday, Kathy shared a more care-free photo of her playing on the bed with her atop a colorful blanket.
‘BIG thanks to @chadfelixg for makin me this “get well” homemade quilt!!! Hope it’s ok that I let the #puppies and #dogs on it,’ she wrote.
Back home with family: She shared a happier post later on Friday with a photo of her and her dogs on a colorful quilt blanket a friend made for her recovery
Griffin had been sent home from hospital earlier this week after spending time in a coronavirus isolation ward.
The comedian revealed this week she was battling ‘unbearably painful symptoms’ associated with the respiratory illness COVID-19 — which is caused by the novel coronavirus — and said she had been taken to a specific isolation ward for sufferers of the virus, although she was unable to be tested.
She confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Friday that she was back home after being diagnosed with an abdominal infection that is being treated with medication.
Back home: Griffin had been sent home from the hospital after spending time in a coronavirus isolation ward, though she was later diagnosed with an abdominal infection
During an interview with the publication, Kathy detailed her experience at the isolation ward, which she was taken to after feeling ill following a trip to Mexico with her husband Randy Bick.
She said: ‘We were both nervous because we were still in the incubation period after returning from Mexico, but also we had not left the house in days. We’d been hearing about a 14-day incubation period [for the coronavirus]. So for me to get what felt like food poisoning after six days, I thought, OK, is this a coincidence or what?’
Kathy praised the ‘heroes’ who treated her at the hospital, but said the facility was not set up how she had imagined, and there were no coronavirus tests available.
She said there were no tests for her: Kathy praised the ‘heroes’ who treated her at the hospital, but said the facility was not set up how she had imagined, and there were no coronavirus tests available. Seen in July 2019
She added: ‘Frankly, when they said the corona ward, I thought I would be walking into the white suits with blue-taped ceilings, everything. I kind of expected them to put me in a shower room and all that – but as recently as [Tuesday], there’s no cavalry that’s coming in handing out millions of [test] swabs.’
The comedian was unable to get a test for the virus because her symptoms didn’t ‘meet the requirements’ set out by the CDC.
She explained: ‘The doctor was going through the boxes and going through the boxes [on a form] and she kept saying, like, “Ugh, because of the lungs, the fever and the kind of cough … you don’t meet the CDC requirements.”
Crushing: But once inside the ER, the My Life On The D-List star said she could not get tested for the virus due to CDC restrictions even though she was at a ‘major’ hospital. Seen in late February with Traci Lords
‘I just think it’s so obvious that those tests have to be accessible to everybody. A lot of people, when they hear the president saying everyone who needs a test should get one, then shouldn’t have to then go to a hospital where, frankly, they may be exposing themselves or exposing others.’
Kathy first spoke about her symptoms when she took to Twitter to hit out at US president Donald Trump, after he claimed America is now doing ‘more testing than any other nation’.
She took to social media to get her point across. The stand-up also shared a photo of herself in the hospital. She wore a mask and was under quarantine.
She says there are not enough tests: She took to social media to get her point across. The stand-up also shared a photo of herself in the hospital. She wore a mask and was under quarantine. Griffin explained that even though her symptoms were serious, she was considered not eligible for the test. Kathy also shared a grab of Trump’s tweet from Wednesday
Griffin explained that even though her symptoms were serious, she was considered not eligible for the test.
Kathy also shared a grab of Trump’s tweet from Wednesday.
‘Just reported that the United States has done far more ‘testing’ than any other nation, by far!’ said Trump.
‘In fact, over an eight day span, the United States now does more testing than what South Korea (which has been a very successful tester) does over an eight week span. Great job!’
Kathy said that the President was ‘lying.’
Griffin explained: ‘I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms.
‘The hospital couldn’t test me for #coronavirus because of CDC (Pence task force) restrictions.’
Not a fan of his: Kathy said that the President was ‘lying.’ Griffin explained: ‘I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms. ‘The hospital couldn’t test me for #coronavirus because of CDC (Pence task force) restrictions.’ Trump on March 20
She has lashed out at Trump before. In 2017 she posted a video of herself to Instagram where she was holding a mask made to look like the severed, bloody head of Trump.
‘I caption this ‘there was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his…wherever,” she said.
The shoot was from photographer Tyler Shields.
Griffin later took down the image, and apologized publicly. CNN fired her from its New Year’s Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper because of it.
The latest: Other celebrities who have come down with COVID-19 are Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, Andy Cohen, and Laura Bell Bundy (pictured)
Sad farewell: Top Chef Masters star Floyd Cardoz died on Wednesday from the virus. He had been in Mumbai earlier this month with comedian Aziz Ansari shooting a reality TV series
Other celebrities who have come down with COVID-19 are Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, Andy Cohen, and Laura Bell Bundy.
Top Chef Masters star Floyd Cardoz died on Wednesday from the virus. He had been in Mumbai earlier this month with comedian Aziz Ansari shooting a reality TV series.
It has been a bad month for Kathy. Her mother Maggie died on St Patrick’s Day.
Her tribute read: ‘My Mom, the one and only, Maggie Griffin, passed away today. I am gutted. My best friend. I’m shaking. I won’t ever be prepared. I’m so grateful you guys got to be part of her life. You knew her. You loved her. She knew it. Oh, and OF COURSE she went on St Patrick’s Day.’
Sad loss: Last week Kathy’s mother Maggie died. Her tribute read: ‘My Mom, the one and only, Maggie Griffin, passed away today. I am gutted. My best friend. I’m shaking.’ Seen with her mother in 2014