Reba McEntire Describes Her COVID-19 Recovery
Reba McEntire wasn't far removed from her COVID-19 diagnosis when she revealed that she and boyfriend Rex Linn had caught it. In a new interview, the singer describes her symptoms, further warning people about the dangers of the virus and its new Delta variant.
Talking to Variety, McEntire says that she was on the couch for two to four days, and her symptoms were similar to those of a sinus infection. "But when I lost my sense of smell, I was kind of like, 'Wait a minute, maybe I have COVID,'" she remembers.
She caught the virus in spite of being vaccinated, and describes laying around on her couch, catching up on her favorite shows for several days. This was in mid-July, and now: "I'm feeling great," she says.
"Last night I smelled something and I went, oh my gosh. What you take for granted all the time, with your sense of taste and smell," she says. "Thank God I didn't lose my sense of taste, because I'm a foodie."
McEntire didn't say if Linn has recovered or not, nor how serious his symptoms have been. The couple first confirmed their romance one year ago — he's best known for his acting roles in shows like CSI: Miami.
Days before sharing the COVID news, McEntire and Brooks & Dunn announced nine new shows for their combined Las Vegas residency. This will be the final shows of the residency, all taking place in December. McEntire also has a tour slated to begin in January, though she recognizes that the virus may slow those plans.
"The band and crew, we’re all ready to go back out. But you know, we’ve got to stay smart. If anybody’s in danger ...We’re pretty much all vaccinated because we want to go back to work and get back out there and entertain," she says.
The CDC reports that the current seven-day moving average of new daily COVID-19 cases in the United States increased from 19.9 percent from the previous seven-day moving average. Current rates are similar to the rates in late January and early February, up more than five times from the 12 month low in late June 2021.
"And I know with a lot of people, their family members have died from this. So that’s why I sent the heartfelt message on the TikTok event that we did last week to say, 'Please get vaccinated. Stay safe. Wear masks, if not for you, for your best friend or your grandma or your niece and nephew,'" the 66-year-old warns. "Oh my gosh, I was just told that there was two children here in Nashville that have died, 6 and 8 years old. This thing's not playing around. It's very serious."
Last week, McEntire announced Revived Remixed Revisited, due out on Oct. 8. The box set contains new versions of songs from McEntire's lengthy catalog and is divided into three parts.
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