Update on Helen Thomas's recovery

NEW YORK Washington, D.C. legend Helen Thomas has been off the job for the past three weeks suffering from a gastric infection that has caused her to miss her weekly column for Hearst Newspapers, according to Hearst D.C. Bureau Chief Chuck Lewis.

Lewis said Thomas, 87, was hit with the illness on May 18 and has not written a column since May 14. Her weekly columns are distributed each Wednesday to all 500 clients of Hearst News Service.

"She is being treated for an infection and is on leave," Lewis told E&P Monday. "She became ill and has been recovering ever since. We expect her back, but I am not sure when. We have been moving a note that she is away and her column will resume when she does."

Lewis said recent conversations with Thomas indicate "she is getting stronger and we expect her back, but not this week."

Thomas garnered fame as the former UPI White House correspondent who first began covering presidents during the Kennedy Administration. She left UPI in 2000 for Hearst and has been writing a weekly column ever since.

Thomas did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.