Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson test positive for coronavirus

As if the coronavirus pandemic didn't have everyone already on edge, there's now word that national treasures Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have the virus.

On Wednesday night, Hanks posted a statement to Twitter that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease known officially as COVID-19. The two are currently in Australia doing pre-production for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley film.

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He wrote in his usual down-to-earth tone, "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."

Hanks is, of course, just one of many people having to confront this diagnosis. So far the World Health Organization reports there are more than 118,000 cases worldwide, and more than 4,200 people have died from it.

It is so far affecting people in 114 countries — and was today officially declared a pandemic by the WHO. While the majority of people with the virus only experience mild symptoms, for 15% of people the symptoms are severe.

It seems fortunate for Hanks and Wilson that they were a country where tests for the virus were readily available. The situation in the U.S. is quite different, where delays in making tests available have been the source of much controversy.

As for how Hanks and Wilson are faring, it seems so far that both of them are doing well under the circumstances. He wrote, "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?"

Leave it to Tom Hanks to be a calm figure in an otherwise scary time.

This is a developing story...