Tom Hanks‘ COVID-19 diagnosis came as a shock to many. The actor is one of the most beloved celebrities on the planet, so when he announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had both tested positive for the virus, the internet went a bit crazy. Since then, he and his family have been giving us regular updates on how the pair are doing. For the most part, they’ve been positive (though there was a distressing moment involving Vegemite), but concerns were raised about the pair when his sister Sandra Hanks Benoiton gave an interview and said the following:
“I have communicated with my brother. He’s not great, but still okay. [Am I] shocked? No. He’s an actor, not a god [but] medical care in Australia is good.”
This caused concern that his condition had worsened. But now, thankfully, Hanks himself has offered a much more positive update that indicates he and his wife are over the hump. Posting on Twitter, he said:
“Hey, folks. Two weeks after our first symptoms and we feel better. Sheltering in place works like this: You don’t give it to anyone – You don’t get it from alone. Common sense, no? Going to take awhile, but if we take care of each other, help where can, and give up some comforts, this, too, shall pass. We can figure this out. Hanx”
It should be remembered that what the actor has been through is what the vast majority of people who catch COVID-19 will experience. But, of course, that doesn’t mean we should be cavalier about it.
While young and healthy people may not be directly in the line of fire, we should be careful not to transmit the virus to people who are. So, credit to Tom Hanks for using his position of influence to spread genuinely good advice about the importance of sheltering in place and social distancing.
In the meantime, with a load of movies either leaving the cinema early or potentially skipping it altogether, at least there’s a lot available to keep us occupied through the long hours at home.