It’s been over two weeks since Tom Hanks announced that he and wife Rita Wilson tested positive for coronavirus – they were the first celebrities to share their COVID-19 diagnosis.
“Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches,” Tom wrote on his Instagram post on March 11. “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,” he continued. “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!”
The couple were in Australia at the time, where Tom was working on an upcoming film. After being quarantined for five days in a Queensland hospital, they were released but continued to self-isolate in a home in Australia as they recovered from the illness. During that time, the couple continued to give fans regular health updates as well as lighthearted and inspiring messages on social media.
Last week, Tom went on Facebook to share that he and Rita were feeling better and urged fans to self-isolate and practice social distancing.
“Hey, folks. Two weeks after our first symptoms and we (Rita Wilson) feel better. Sheltering in place works like this: You don’t give it to anyone – You don’t get it from anyone. Common sense, no? Going to take awhile, but if we take care of each other, help where we can, and give up some comforts…this, too, shall pass. We can figure this out. Hanx,” he wrote on Monday (March 23).
By Friday (March 27), Tom and Rita were back home in Los Angeles. They were photographed driving around in an SUV, all-smile and looking to be in good spirits.
Grateful for the blessings and her health, Rita went on Instagram on Sunday (March 29) to celebrate life – including being a “COVID-19 survivor.”
“This date, March 29, represents a time of great happiness,” she wrote in her post. “I was on Broadway starring with Larry David in his play Fish In The Dark before finding out I had been diagnosed with breast cancer. March 29 also marks five years of being cancer free after having had a bilateral mastectomy.”
“I am so thankful for my health, for the doctors, nurses, friends and family who got me through that time,” she continued. “You, online friends, also need to be thanked because your prayers and optimism were felt deeply. And, so thankful for the blessings God has bestowed on me, then and now.”
“One year ago on March 29, I was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a street, that as a child, I’d walk on an read all the names of the stars I admired, never believing one day my name would be on one of those stars,” she shared. “And one year ago today, I released my fourth album, Halfway to Home.”
“Every day I get to make music is a gift. So much has happened musically in that one year. So much goodness. All of this would not be possible without good health,” she added. “So, today, March 29, I am celebrating the beauty of this life, the blessings God has given , and my continued good health, even now as a COVID 19 survivor.”
“Please take a moment today to acknowledge the amazing creation your bodies are and to thank it for doing so much,” she concluded.
Many other celebrities, including Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre, Daniel Dae Kim, Debi Mazar, Kevin Durant, Marcus Smart and more have also opened up about their coronavirus diagnoses in order to bring awareness to the disease.
The virus does not discriminate.
Stay home. Stay safe. Stay positive. Let’s work together to flatten the curve.
