Hoda Kotb was overcome with emotion Friday morning.
On the “Today” show, the co-anchor interviewed New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who, along with his wife Brittany has committed $5 million to help the state of Louisiana for coronavirus relief.
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Brees’ donation to Louisiana touched Kotb personally. Early in her career, she worked for years as an anchor at WWL-TV in New Orleans.
As the interview was coming to a close, Kotb told Brees, “I actually think a lot of things are contagious, including generosity. Our hope is that because you let us know you made this big generous donation other people can look and say, ‘Hey, maybe I can help out, too.’ Drew we love you.”
“Love you too, Hoda,” Brees responded, at which point Kotb began to cry.
Savannah Guthrie, who was co-anchoring from self-isolation at home, comforted her colleague, “Oh Hoda … I know it’s a lot. I know where your heart is, my dear.”
It has been an emotional time for both Kotb and Guthrie, who recently lost their NBC News colleague Larry Edgeworth to COVID-19.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are asked to self-isolate for 14 days in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
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