Ellen DeGeneres opens up about her battle with Covid-19 – as she returns to her chat show

Ellen DeGeneres has opened up about her battle with Covid-19, as she returned to host her first show of the New Year.

The popular daytime host tested positive for the deadly virus on the 10th of December, and detailed her symptoms on the opening monologue of the show on Wednesday.

The 62-year-old said: “There’s a lot of negativity going on so I thought we’d talk about something positive – my Covid test.

“I tested positive before the holidays, I’m all good now,” she insisted.

“I want to thank everyone who reached out with kind words of support. I wish I could have hugged all of you, but that would have been dangerous and illegal.

“Thank you to the audience who have come back, you were supposed to be In the audience in December but we had to cancel.

“I was getting ready for the show that you were supposed to be in, my extensions put in and my face powdered. And my assistant Craig came in and said you’ve tested positive for coronavirus,” she recalled.

“Then everyone around me ran away. People really just get scared and ran, some have not been back since. I left immediately and everyone was informed.”

Describing her symptoms, Ellen told the audience: “So for the first three days I slept for 16 hours a day, then the fourth day I woke up with back spasms so thought I’d pulled a muscle or slept funny.

“But it persisted so the doctor put me on pain killers and muscle relaxers – jackpot! Finally this thing is paying off.

“The pain killers didn’t help, it felt like I had cracked a rib. So they put me on a steroid pack, but they make you really speedy and edgy.

“So I stayed on all of it, pain killers, muscle relaxers and steroids – not sure if that’s the best way, I’m not a doctor.”

“I’m still on them, I find the relaxers helpful. I spoke to my brother and told him about the back pain, he had a friend with the same then and then I spoke to several other people.

“So now apparently back pain is a symptom of Covid. Now you know! It’s the only symptom I had,” she shared.

“I started to feel better so I’m very fortunate and feeling okay now. I don’t know how I got it, I wear a mask and wash my hands, and only licked three door handles,” the presenter joked.

Ellen extended her sympathies to the individuals who are suffering with the deadly virus, saying: “To the people struggling with the illness right now my heart goes out to them.”