Lonnie Quinn is back to work! The CBS New York meteorologist, 61, returned to television on Monday, May 5, after a long recovery period for a traumatic brain injury in March.
CBS Weather Correspondent Robert Marciano shared an Instagram post welcoming his friend and co-worker back to the studio. Marciano wrote, “happy to share that Lonnie Quinn is back to work today @cbsnewyork and @cbseveningnews !!”
He added, “This man is a good friend, a gifted weather pro, and all around great human. It’s been a fun privilege to fill-in for him the last few weeks as he heals and works thru concussion recovery. We are all so psyched to have him healthy and back in action!! 💪🙏👊.”
In the May 5 broadcast, Quinn said of reconnecting with his co-workers, “Listen, I missed you guys more than you know. I mean, this is a business where we’re kind of connected to what we do, and I’m certainly connected with you guys.”
The newscast then played a wholesome video of Quinn reuniting with the entire newsroom, who were sure to give him a warm welcome back. Quinn provided new details on his long absence from the program.
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In the May 5 broadcast, Quinn elaborated, “Once the MRI came back, and that’s when the doctors came in and said, ‘OK, well, this is actually a traumatic brain injury, not just a concussion. You’ve got to be out of work for six to eight weeks, and we just got to [stick to] rest and relaxation and get you back to it.’ ”
As Quinn previously explained, he “took a wallop on my head” in March, prompting a visit to the hospital and symptoms that he only discovered later on.
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“The big concern in the medical community, they want to see if there’s a brain bleed because you can be dead in the morning if you don’t treat that,” Quinn said, confirming that he had a “negative” CT scan at the time. “So I was free to go home. And I got on with my life, as we all do when we bang our heads, right?
Quinn also previously claimed that he could not see out of his left eye following his initial concussion. “There was no way I could go on. And then just as quickly as it began, it went away. It lasted maybe 15 minutes,” Quinn said.
“I did the newscast. But that’s when our news director — who really looks out for her people — said, ‘OK, you’re not driving home. We’re gonna get you a car. You’re going to the hospital.’ ”
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At the hospital, Quinn followed up with a neurologist, who confirmed the severity of his injury via an MRI. The meteorologist also encouraged viewers to be mindful of taking the proper recovery time for head injuries. “When you bang your head, your brain recovers nicely, but it only recovers while the body is sleeping,” he said.
Quinn serves as chief meteorologist for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts on weekdays and can be seen on CBS Evening News.