SOCHI, Russia, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Today host Matt Lauer will continue to handle NBC's primetime and late night (tape-delayed) coverage of the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, on Thursday, as Bob Costas continues to sit out with an eye infection.
Costas' Cal Ripken-like streak of 157 consecutive NBC Olympic anchor appearances ended earlier this week. The longtime sports broadcaster battled through the worsening infection -- which appeared late last week -- for a few days, before finally relinquishing his duties.
"I was trying to throw a complete game here," Costas told Lauer on air earlier this week, "but I think we’re going to have to go to the bullpen. I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but you’re Mariano Rivera, at least tonight."
Costas told The New York Times that his eyes were nearly swollen shut on Tuesday.
"You hear it called pinkeye or conjunctivitis, but, as a practical matter, I haven’t had it before," he said. "You have swelling and stinging and burning and eventually tearing."
Doctors typically treat pinkeye with antibiotics and/or eye drops. But like the common cold, the most effective treatment is to sit and wait it out. An infection can last anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks.
The CDC lists a number of preventive measures for avoiding pinkeye. Wash your hands and avoid rubbing your eyes, experts say. And for good measure, wash your hands again.
[The New York Times] [CDC]
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