Despite their best efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus, some of the biggest celebrities – like Tom Hanks, Idris Elba and more – have come down with the sickness.
(UPDATE 3/16 AT 2:30 P.M. ET): Idris Elba is the latest celebrity to reveal that he has been diagnosed with coronavirus. He shared the news via social media on March 16. “This morning I tested positive for COVID-19,” he wrote. “I feel ok. I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing. No panic.”
With the World Health Organization reporting almost 125,000 cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus within the first weeks of the pandemic, the odds that stars from the movie, television, music, and entertainment world would be spared were low. It was just a matter of time before a huge name reported that they’ve contracted COVID-19, but no one expected that name to be national treasure, Tom Hanks. Tom, 63, confirmed on Mar. 11 that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, 63, had come down with COVID-19 while he was filming an Elvis Presley biopic on The Gold Coast in Australia. Tom gave an update a day later, saying that he and his wife were “in isolation, so we do not spread it to anyone else.”
“There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness. We are taking it one-day-at-a-time. There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other, no?” he added, delivering a message that seemed to dispel any potential stigmas associated with the disease while also encouraging people to stay grounded. “Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball.”
There might be some crying over baseball. The 2020 MLB season was delayed, and Spring Training was canceled as part of preventive measures. This followed similar steps by the NHL, NCAA, and MLS, who all reacted after the NBA paused its season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert, 27, tested positive. Shortly afterward, his teammate, Donovan Mitchell, 23, was also diagnosed with coronavirus. Overseas, European soccer was wrecked by the disease, with many games being held in empty stadiums and leagues suspending play.
In Italy – the country who reported the second-highest number of deaths from coronavirus in the early weeks, only topped by mainland China – everything was shut down, including the Serie A soccer league. After Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate Daniele Rugani tested positive, the Juventus squad went into lockdown. The team’s “football players, staff members, directors, entourage and Juventus employees are observing a period of voluntary home isolation, in compliance with the requirements of the health authorities based on the provisions currently in force.”
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Hello, folks. @ritawilson and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive. Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves! Hanx!
A post shared by Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) on
On March 15, there was another confirmed celebrity case, as former Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko, confirmed that she had tested positive for the illness. Olga played Camille in Quantum of Solace, and revealed that she is in “self isolation” due to her diagnosis. She had been ill for more than a week before revealing her news to fans.
In this time of uncertainty, consult the Center For Disease Control for information about COVID-19, what measures you can take to prevent the spread of coronavirus, what to do if you demonstrate symptoms, and how to not get swept in the hysteria during this time.
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