Oprah Winfrey opened up about how she handled the coronavirus pandemic and her feelings after receiving a full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a personal essay shared on Oprah Daily, the media mogul described how she created her own coronavirus safe bubble with Stedman Graham by requiring any visitors to quarantine and spending minimal time outside of her home.
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“As soon as lockdown began, two of our grown daughter girls from South Africa quarantined with us and worked from home, virtually. Two single members of our staff stayed within the bubble, and anyone who wanted to come from outside had to be quarantined in our guest house for 14 days,” Winfrey wrote. “No exceptions—not even Gayle [King]. I only left the bubble twice in the past year: once for an eye infection, and a second time for a mammogram, which I delayed for 3 months.”
She continued to detail her emotional response to the coronavirus vaccines, revealing that she is now fully vaccinated. After her second shot, the journalist and host experienced side effects, however, she is grateful to be protected against COVID-19.
“The first shot, I wanted to cry but didn’t, just from the overwhelming sense of relief,” she said. “After the second vaccination shot, I didn’t feel well for about 30 hours. I had all the classic symptoms: fever, chills, lethargy. But it was such a small inconvenience to be protected against a virus that’s killed so many. I thought a lot during that time about the more than half million people in this country who lost their lives because of this virus, and what they had to endure.”
She continued, “afterwards, I felt like superwoman—like I’d been given a new lease on life. But it hasn’t changed my habits. I’ve still gone nowhere other than to do the interview with Meghan [Markle] and [Prince] Harry. Recently, Stedman went to hit golf balls alone, for the first time in a year.”
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Oprah said she hopes to have a taco party once more of her friends are vaccinated, which may happen sooner than later. On March 25, President Joe Biden revealed a White House plan to spend $10 billion to bolster vaccine efforts. theGrio reported that the effort, which is being funded through the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed earlier this month, will include $6 billion in funding for community health centers to expand COVID-19 vaccinations, testing and other preventive health care for populations at higher risk for the virus.
President Joe Biden’s administration, which will start distributing the money in April to nearly 1,400 centers across the country, said health centers can also use the funding to modify and improve infrastructure and add mobile units.
In addition, the Biden administration said it is allotting $3 billion to bolster “vaccine confidence.” The money, which will be parceled out to 64 jurisdictions, can be used by rural, faith-based organizations and by food assistance and housing nonprofits in high-poverty communities to conduct door-to-door outreach and educational efforts to urge eligible people to schedule vaccination appointments.
As Oprah quarantined, she also helped communities impacted by COVID-19. theGrio reported she donated $12 million in relief funds across the country, including a very special gift to the community of Nashville and Tennessee State University.
“I wanted to do something for the communities where I grew up and people who helped me to grow into who I am,” Oprah said in a virtual press conference, according to the report. “I started with my own family first, and then I worked my way through my hometowns, Nashville, Mississippi, Milwaukee, Chicago, and then this morning I realized I forgot Baltimore.”
This article contains additional reporting by The Associated Press.
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