Savannah Guthrie, Today anchor, announced on the NBC show Tuesday morning that she was expecting her second child, and would not cover the Summer Olympics in Brazil based on her concerns about the Zika virus.
NBCUniversal employees are not required to travel to Rio if they are concerned about Zika, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The mosquito-borne virus can cause birth defects in pregnant women, such as microcephaly, in which the baby is born with an abnormally small head. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant women avoid traveling to areas within parts of South America, Central America, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean — including Brazil.
“I’m not going to be able to go to Rio, so you’ll have to go to beach volleyball without me,” Guthrie said Tuesday morning on Today, sitting with her colleagues.
Some athletes have voiced concern about exposure to Zika in Rio as well, and American cyclist Tejay van Garderen declined to participate in the Games due to his wife’s pregnancy.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Why Maternity Care Is Underpaid
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com