Joy-Anna Duggar Tested Positive For COVID-19 While She Was Pregnant

In a recent Instagram post, Counting On star Joy-Anna Duggar revealed she had COVID-19 during her pregnancy with her newborn daughter Evelyn in 2020. Both she and her husband Austin Forsyth tested positive, which must have been a harrowing time for the mom of two.

In a recent exchange on Instagram, as Entertainment Tonight reported, a fan asked the reality star whether or not her family had struggled with the coronavirus at all during a Q&A session. Joy-Anna, who is mom to son Gideon, who turns 3 in February, and 5-month-old daughter Evelyn, responded: "Yes, Austin and I both tested positive for COVID last year."

Joy-Anna went on to share that she and Austin experienced many of the common symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus. "I was still pregnant with Evelyn," Joy-Anna shared on Instagram. "We both had body aches, slight fever, and lost our taste and smell. Thankfully we recovered quickly!" According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other common symptoms include cough, fatigue, headache, and shortness of breath.

The couple welcomed their baby girl in August, several months after the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States and saw sweeping lockdown measures initiated across the country. A difficult time to welcome a baby, particularly when you have tested positive for COVID-19 and suffered a tragic pregnancy loss just one year earlier.

After welcoming her baby girl in August, Joy-Anna wrote on Instagram that her heart was "full" while announcing the news. "To say my heart is full is an understatement," she shared at the time. "We have been dreaming of this day and are so happy to announce that our baby girl arrived August 21st at 2:12pm weighing 8lbs 5oz and is 19.5” long!"

Joy-Anna wasn't the only member of the family to get tested for COVID-19. In June, her sister Jill Duggar, who is also a mom of two and married to Derick Dillard, went in for testing after experiencing a fever, rash, and cough. According to The Sun, she tested negative. And just as fortunately, the Forsyth family appears happy and healthy after their own COVID scare.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all of Romper’s parents + coronavirus coverage here.