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Neil Patrick Harris reveals his entire family had coronavirus: 'Not pleasant'

The actor and his husband and kids 'feel great' after recovering from the virus

Madeline Roth

Wednesday 16 September 2020 23:21 BST

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Neil Patrick Harris reveals he and his family had Covid-19 (Getty Images)

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Neil Patrick Harris has opened up about quietly battling Covid-19.

The actor revealed on Tuesday's broadcast of the Todayshow that he and his family — including husband David Burtka and 9-year-old twins Harper and Gideon — contracted the novel coronavirus near the start of the outbreak in the US.

"It happened very early, like late March, early April," the 47-year-old actor said. "We were doing our best before, and I thought I had the flu, and I didn't want to be paranoid about it. And then I lost my sense of taste and smell, which was a big indicator, so we holed up."

A sudden loss of taste and smell is a common symptom of Covid-19. Although some people recover their ability to taste and smell when the rest of their symptoms disappear, the issue can linger much longer. Harris called the whole ordeal "not pleasant," but said he and his family have fully recovered and that they all "feel great" now.

"We got through it and have antibodies and are feeling good, and want to make sure everyone's doing their best to slow this down every way possible," the former How I Met Your Mother star added.

As of Wednesday, there have been more than 6.6 million cases of Covid-19 reported in the US, according to The New York Times.

Harris and his family are among many celebrities who have battled the virus since the pandemic began. Other stars who have tested positive for Covid-19 include Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, Andy Cohen, Lena Dunham, Idris Elba, Alyssa Milano, Robert Pattinson, Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.