NEW YORK — Tom Hanks and his actress-singer wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus, the actor said in a statement Wednesday.
Hanks said the couple were in Australia and felt tired, with colds, body aches and slight fevers. "To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus and were found to be positive," Hanks said.
The 63-year-old Oscar-winner said they will be “tested, observed and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.”
“Not much more to it than a one-day-a-time approach, no?” added Hanks.
Hanks had been in Australia shooting an untitled Elvis Presley biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann. Hanks plays Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The film, currently slated for release in October 2021, has suspended production, Warner Bros. said.
Australia has confirmed more than 120 cases of infection, with three deaths from COVID-19.
Hanks and Wilson, 63, were married in 1988. In 2013, Hanks disclosed that he has type 2 diabetes. He is easily the most famous person yet to publicly announce a positive test for the virus, which the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a pandemic.
Hanks also posted his message on social media with an image of a surgical glove in a garbage can. He signed off saying that he would “keep the world posted and updated.” Said Hanks: "Take care of yourselves!”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press