Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty
Jeff Lewisspent Christmas recovering fromCOVID-19.
The formerFlipping Out star revealed on Monday’s episode of his SiriusXM radio showJeff LewisLivethat he contracted a breakthrough case of the virus during a “superspreader” holiday party he threw for 30 of his employees and friends on Dec. 21.
Multiple of Lewis' attendees also tested positive following the event, Lewis said, including co-host Megan Weaver, assistant Shane Douglas, actress Monika Casey, and Lewis' on-again, off-again, on-again boyfriend Scott Anderson.
“Thursday is when everyone started testing positive,” Lewis said — adding thatShahs of Sunsetstar Mercedeh Javid Feight, who was also in attendance, tested positive as well. “A third of us got it. And we also have people with symptoms who haven’t been tested yet.”
Lewis went on to say he had done everything to ensure everyone was safe, even hiring a nurse to test every guest before they went in.
“People are saying we’re reckless and stupid. No we’re not, f—ers,” Lewis said. “We were all vaccinated and we had a nurse there testing all of us before we even went in the door. … I thought we were being responsible.”
He also detailed his experience with COVID, saying that he had it “really bad.”
“Christmas Eve, I tested negative, so I went to my family’s Christmas Eve dinner,” Lewis explained. “I did wear a mask and I stayed distanced … Then I started feeling sick at dinner. I went home early.”
“By the next day I was in pretty bad shape,” Lewis added. “My fever went up to 103.8. I was able to get it down to 102 then it soared to 104.5, which is insane. Scottie took a bowl of ice water and was putting cloths on my body to try to bring the temperature down. There was no sweat whatsoever, I was just radiating heat. I was a little delirious and I told him, ‘I think you’re going to wake up tomorrow and I’m going to be dead.'”
Weaver had a bad case too, she said. “I was in a ball, shaking, chills, body aches, the whole thing,” she explained.
Jeff Lewis.Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage
One of the things that helped the pair wasmonoclonal antibody therapy, the pricy treatment that provides a temporary boost of antibodies that fight COVID-19.
“MJ found a doctor… he saved our lives. He brought monoclonal antibody therapy,” Lewis said. “I thought he was a miracle worker. He said this is saved for the most extreme cases, like you have to be hospitalized, but I frankly didn’t want to be hospitalized — I wanted to get it before then. So I decided to go ahead and do it, before I was hospitalized.”
“I would say I felt better within 12 hours,” he continued. “I still have the diarrhea, and I still have the cough and I still have the chills but at least I don’t have the fever anymore.”
Jeff Lewis and Gage Edward with daughter Monroe.Jeff Lewis/Instagram
Until he’s on the other side of it, Lewis said he’s going to continue distancing from his 5-year-old daughter Monroe, who has been staying with her other father Gage Edward in the meantime.
“I don’t want her to get sick and I also don’t want to take care of her because I don’t have any nannies,” Lewis joked, explaining that a few of his housecleaners and nannies who work for him had also contracted COVID. “I’m down to two and if anything happens to those two, I’m not going to be able to feed myself I don’t know who is going to be able to take care of me!”
Breakthrough cases— COVID-19 infections that occur in people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus — are possible and expected, as the vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing infections. Still, vaccinated people who test positive will likely be asymptomatic or experience a far milder illness than if they were not vaccinated. The majority of deaths from COVID-19 — around 98 to 99% —are in unvaccinated people.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
