CNN anchor Cuomo tests positive

Hosts show from basement

A bleary-eyed Chris Cuomo, saying he wanted to be a cautionary tale for his audience, anchored his CNN show from his basement Tuesday after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Via remote link, he interviewed Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, an emergency room nurse and CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, who expressed worry about one of Cuomo's symptoms.

"Brace yourself," Cuomo told viewers, "not for a hoax. But for the next few weeks of scary and painful realities. This is a fight. It's going to get worse. We're going to suffer." Cuomo looked pale, his eyes watery and redrimmed. He took a few deep breaths to compose himself. He repeated himself.

Even Gupta said he didn't look good, and said he'd call later to talk about a tightness Cuomo was feeling in his chest.

The 49-year-old newsman, whose brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has logged just as much television airtime lately with daily briefings on how the disease is affecting his state, said earlier that he knew it was a matter of time because of how often he was exposed to people. He said he's staying in the basement of his Long Island home to protect himself from his wife and children.

The New York governor, who appeared with his brother on CNN by remote link the night before, also used the personal story to warn others during his press briefing Tuesday. He noted that he had scolded Chris for having their 88-year-old mother, Matilda, visiting Chris' home two weeks ago.