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Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson Have Coronavirus: "We Felt A Bit Tired, Like We Had Colds"
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 11, 2020
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Z20/ACE Pictures/Shutterstock
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 11, 2020
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As President Donald Trump was giving a national address about the coronavirus pandemic, actor Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for COVID-19.
The beloved Oscar winner sent a statement describing their situation.
"Hello, folks. Rita 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!"
He shared the news on social media with this image:
Hanks has been filming Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley film in Australia (Hanks is playing Colonel Tom Parker). Wilson, an actor, writer, producer, and singer, had been performing in Sydney and shared photographs outside the Sydney Opera House in recent days:
Hanks and Wilson are both 63.
Health officials say COVID-19 can involve symptoms like cough, fever, trouble breathing, and pneumonia—and that most cases, up to 80%, will self-resolve, while a smaller group of people—especially those who are immune-compromised; have preexisting health conditions like respiratory issues, heart disease, or diabetes; or are older—may need hospitalization.
At this time Australia has 112 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 60 in New South Wales, where Sydney is located.
Hanks' and Wilson's son, Chet Hanks, who is also a rapper known as Chet Haze, posted a video on Instagram, thanking people for their concern but assuring his audience that his parents "are fine, they're not even that sick, they're not worried about it, they're not trippin'."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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