Earlier this week, Idris Elba took to social media to reveal that he’s contracted the COVID-19 and put himself under home quarantine. But why did the actor decide to inform members of the public about his battle with the infectious disease?
The novel coronavirus pandemic is sweeping through the world at a faster speed than most communities were prepared to face. At the time of writing, more than 244,000 people have tested positive and the number of deaths has spiked in Europe to reach a staggering worldwide count of 10,030 individuals. Health officials are advising people to remain at home and don’t take any unnecessary trips outside, and celebrities are at the forefront of this endeavor to contain the spread of the COVID-19 by means of self-imposed quarantines.
Amidst this chaotic whirlwind that’s afflicted more than 170 countries, cinemagoers were most concerned to hear that several actors, including Tom Hanks, Idris Elba, Rachel Matthews, Kristopher Hivju, and Indira Varma have contracted the virus and are currently fighting the disease.
Recently, though, the star behind Marvel’s Heimdall released a long video to give us some details about his experience in quarantine and reveal why he decided to test for the COVID-19 in the first place.
“I’m really proud of Tom Hanks, who’s also someone in the public eye who came out and said they have [coronavirus],” Elba said. “I was definitely motivated by Tom’s move there, but also I think there’s some transparency given to this situation when someone like Tom or myself is in this situation.”
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 17, 2020
As for some good news, Idris Elba is on his way to recovery. This isn’t really surprising, either, since the virus only shows severe symptoms in just a small percentage of people who contract it. Additionally, while the death rate varies from region to region, the number of people who’ve thus far recovered take over the unfortunate casualties by a large margin.
Tell us, though, have you put yourself under home quarantine, or are you still following through with your normal day to day activities? Sound off in the comments section below.