During the Weekend Update segment on the recent SNL50 Anniversary Special, Colin Jost joked that “Health experts are facing increased pressure this winter in the face of outbreaks of COVID, the flu, RSV, and norovirus, which they’re calling a ‘quad-demic. So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space.”

As it turns out, his joke was actually pretty on the nose.

Just yesterday, current SNL cast member Chloe Fineman posted an Instagram story showing two positive COVID-19 tests, LateNighter reports, adding that she is “likely to miss” this weekend’s Shane Gillis / Tate McRae episode set to air on March 1, 2025.

“This. Is. So. Annoying.” Fineman wrote on the story. She followed that story up with a separate post to her Instagram main, which was subsequently deleted.

Fineman has been a cast member since 2019 when she was added as a featured player. She was promoted up to repertory status back in 2021, and made headlines late last year after confessing that Elon Musk made her “burst into tears” when he hosted the show in May of 2021. She appeared in one sketch during the SNL50 Anniversary Special, “Domingo: Vow Renewal.”

Fineman was not the only cast member affected by illness after SNL50. Original cast member Laraine Newman contracted the flu late last week, posting a photo on her Instagram showing an inhaler and medication with the caption “SNL50.”

Steve Martin also posted on Instagram that Martin Short and Maya Rudolph had also contracted COVID-19 shortly after SNL50. Short was supposed to join Martin’s comedy tour in Knoxville and Durham; but those dates had to be rescheduled to October 17th and 18th, respectively, later this year. Martin had written in his caption that “The SNL 50th Covid curse is real” with a photo of Short and Rudolph kissing on the red carpet before the show.

It’s worth noting that Fineman was seated directly next to Short in the aforementioned Domingo sketch, which you can watch below.

Another beloved former cast member, Dana Carvey, could not make it to the anniversary special because of his own battle with the flu, which he was not advised to travel with.

Troy Juhn is a 21 year old journalist originally from Minneapolis but currently residing in NYC. He can be found @JuhnTroy on X probably ranting about Minnesota sports.