‘The View’ Star Whoopi Goldberg’s Doc Said She Had A ‘1 In 3’ Chance Of Dying From Pneumonia

Moderator of The View, Whoopi Goldberg, recently welcomed the doctors that had treated her while she was hospitalized for pneumonia and sepsis to the daily talk series. There, it was revealed that the comedienne and EGOT winner had a “1 in 3 chance of dying” from her illness.

On the May 20 episode of The View, Goldberg welcomed her primary physician, Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, as well as Martin Greenberg, the pulmonologist who treated her during her three-week hospital stay which began in February of this year.

Page Six reported that the beloved host was first admitted to the hospital because of her high fever, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate and low oxygen levels. Rodriguez stated on the broadcast that Goldberg’s lungs were drained twice while she was in the hospital, in order to clear them of accumulating fluid brought on by pneumonia.

Essence Magazine reported that Rodriguez stated he couldn’t make out Goldberg’s words when she called him, noting that she was “gasping for air” before having headed to the hospital. Dr. Rodriguez said that Goldberg’s situation was so dire that taking care of the host was an “all hands on deck” situation.

Rodriguez said he could “barely understand what she was saying” because Goldberg’s teeth were chattering from trembling.

Goldberg revealed on The View that she was feeling unwell for quite some time before calling her physician, only doing so when she realized that she needed medical intervention.

The talk show host has since become an advocate for taking care of yourself, and of making sure viewers see a doctor when they sense something is wrong. She stated during the broadcast, “Inactivity, not doing anything, not checking, will kill you. So get your ego together and say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to the doctor because I don’t feel good.’ It’s OK to go to the doctor because you don’t feel good.”

Essence reported that when Goldberg called her doctor, she told him that she was unable to walk on her own, and just wanted to go to sleep. Rodriguez feared the beloved comedienne would not wake up if she did so.

https://youtu.be/IGEwnzjwBSo

On March 14, Goldberg surprised co-hosts Meghan McCain, Joy Behar, Abby Huntsman, Ana Navarro, and Sunny Hostin with a surprise return to The View. This appearance allowed the View moderator to explain her condition, and detail how she was feeling.

Goldberg noted — per People — that while she was hospitalized, she fought a double lung inflammation, pneumonia, and sepsis, a condition caused when the body has a life-threatening response to an infection.

The entertainment news outlet reported that sepsis is the leading cause of death in hospitals, and that as many as 250,000 Americans die from it every year.

The View airs weekdays on ABC.