Whoopi Goldberg: ‘It will kill you’ – star had 30% chance of dying from ‘serious’ illness

Whoopi Goldberg returns to The View

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Amongst her many accolades and success in Hollywood, Goldberg has also been the centre of some controversies due to comments she has made on The View. The most recent came in a January 2022 episode where the 66-year-old claimed that the Holocaust was “not about race” but a “man’s inhumanity to man”. Sparking an immediate public backlash, with some saying how “dangerous” and “devastating” her words were, the actress has this morning (Tuesday, February 1) released an apology for her words. Among other controversial comments that the star has made throughout her time on the show, viewing figures have increased by seven percent, meaning that her week-long absence back in mid-2021 was felt by viewers. What was wrong with Goldberg’s health?

On an episode back in June 2021 Goldberg returned to The View, explaining why she was missing. She said: “Yes, it’s me. I’m back.

“I was out because I was dealing with something called sciatica, which is basically a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve, which sends pain down your leg.”

The star went on to compare the condition to a “bad boyfriend” who “came back to mess with [her]” and ultimately left her relying on a walker.

The NHS explains that sciatica is where the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back to your feet, becomes irritated or compressed.

The condition can affect areas of the body such as the bottom, back of the legs and feet and toes, can lead to the following symptoms:

• Pain – the pain may be the stabbing, burning or shooting
• Tingling – like pins and needles
• Numbness
• Weakness.

“There I was, trying to move my leg – impossible to do. It was really horrible, but I’m glad to be here,” Goldberg continued to say.

“I’ve turned into this little old Black lady,” Goldberg concluded. “It’s really strange.”

Yet, this brief absence in 2021 was not the worst that Goldberg has faced, as back in 2019 she was again absent from The View after being hospitalised with a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.

Inviting her doctor onto the show to speak in detail about her health ordeal, the extent of Goldberg’s condition was revealed. Explaining that she had initially got a cough in November, by February 2020 the illness had left her unable to walk and barely able to breathe, meaning that the star was rushed to A&E.

“Her teeth were chattering, she was gasping for air,” Dr. Jorge Rodriguez said, recalling the star’s symptoms before her hospitalisation. “I could barely understand Whoopi.

“I tried not to sound scared… I was afraid she wasn’t going to wake up because you don’t know if someone, when they give you those clues ― is she really now just tired or is she going to become unconscious and this is it?”

Pulmonologist Martin Greenberg confessed that the star had a shocking 30 percent chance of dying from her symptoms that included a high fever, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate and low oxygen levels.

“The crazy thing is people don’t take (pneumonia) seriously,” Goldberg said, acknowledging that she didn’t initially. “I just (tried to) fight through it, and you can’t do that. It will kill you.”

The Mayo Clinic explains that pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both of the lungs. These air sacs may fill with fluid or pus which causes a cough with phlegm and or pus.

Critically, when young infants or individuals older than 65 years of age, the condition is most serious.

The signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:

• Chest pain when you breathe or cough
• Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older)
• Cough, which may produce phlegm
• Fatigue
• Fever, sweating and shaking chills
• Lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems)
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
• Shortness of breath.

The medical website goes on to explain that “community-acquired pneumonia” is the most common type of the condition. It occurs outside of hospitals or other health care facilities and may be caused by:

• Bacteria
• Bacteria-like organisms
• Fungi
• Viruses, including COVID-19.

Getting treatment for pneumonia is crucial, and involves curing the infection and preventing any complications. Those with community-acquired pneumonia can typically be treated at home with medication, although some will experience persistent symptoms for months.

The Mayo Clinic adds that in addition to medication, getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated are important to speed up recovery.

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