‘Why did I ever go out?’: Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik tests positive for Covid

Mayim Bialik, the host of Jeopardy! and The Big Bang Theory star, has tested positive for Covid-19.

On Monday (20 June), Bialik tweeted, “I have Covid.” She also shared a video on Instagram explaining her condition after testing positive.

“I have Covid, and it’s no joke over here,” she said in the clip.

She recommended watching Bo Burnham’s recently released Inside Outtakes special, calling it “an hour of your life you will not be sorry you partook in”.

She said that a friend suggested drinking lemon juice and ginger with turmeric, before sharing some other home remedies and medicines she was trying for relief from some symptoms.

“You know what else strangely works? Graham crackers and dark chocolate!” she joked. “I don’t know, that’s what I’ve been craving.”

Bialik also spoke in detail about her fatigue, saying “the exhaustion is very special” and comparing it to the time she had mono in college.

She acknowledged that she was “feeling a whole bunch of regret” and “a lot of fear” over testing positive, despite being vaccinated and boosted.

“I’m feeling a whole bunch of regret that I ever took my mask off ever in the world, like even outside,” she said. “I’m feeling a lot of fear. Why did I ever go out? Why did I think that anything was fine, ever?”

“I’m hoping that it passes quickly,” she continued, adding: “Trying to believe that my body knows what to do. I do have asthma, I have a thyroid condition which means that’s an immune compromised situation. I was feeling a little tightness [in the chest] which doesn’t feel good at all.”

She then urged her followers to remain vigilant against the virus amid changing symptoms and false negative rapid antigen test results.

After revealing her diagnosis, Bialik gave fans a “Covid update” in a follow-up Live on Tuesday (21 June).

“I’m not posting this video because my Covid case is the most important case at all. But I do think since I posted that I have Covid, and you know as a person who is vaccinated and boosted, I did get Covid... vaccinated and boosted people get Covid. That’s totally clear.”

Speaking about her symptoms, she said she had a little more energy but still wasn’t “really doing anything”.

She gave a “super shoutout” to her The Big Bang Theory co-star Melissa Rauch (who played Bernadette) for sending her an “unbelievable care package of soup and throat tea”.

Bialik also thanked comedian Iliza Shlesinger for a “good pep talk today which I really needed” amid existential reflection.

Kunal Nayyar, who played Raj on the popular sitcom, commented on the video, writing: “Feel better poor thing :(”

Both videos were posted to the Instagram account for Bialik’s mental health podcast Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.

Bialik was named interim co-host of the American quiz show with former Jeopardy! champion-turned-host Ken Jennings. The duo have hosted the show in-rotation after the death of its longtime host Alex Trebek in 2020.