Rachel Maddow now has a scary firsthand experience with COVID-19, and after seeing her longtime partner fight for her life for weeks ... she's warning Americans to take the virus more seriously.
The MSNBC host returned to her show Thursday night after a 2-week hiatus and revealed her partner of 21 years, Susan Mikula, has been battling the virus and revealed things got so bleak they thought she might die.
Maddow announced on November 6 she was taking a break from the show after coming in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. It wasn't until Thursday she revealed that person was Susan.
One of the worst parts about the scary ordeal ... Maddow trying to take care of the "center of her life" while being apart from her. She said when they were first separated things were getting worse and Susan was getting "sicker and sicker." Fortunately, Maddow says it appears the worst is behind them ... and Susan will likely recover.
During the emotional broadcast from home ... Maddow, who so far has tested negative for the virus, implored viewers to not downplay the severity of the coronavirus as it resurges across the country days before a major holiday.
With that in mind, she added ... "For Thanksgiving next week, you really are just going to have it at home without people coming over. Yeah, that's going to suck, but it's going to suck so much less than you or someone in your family getting sick. Trust me!"