As unfortunate as it may be, the seriousness of coronavirus may have finally come when somebody we all felt like we knew, Tom Hanks, was diagnosed with the disease. Both he and his wife Rita Wilson were confirmed to have acquired coronavirus a couple of weeks ago while in Australia. The pair have been in isolation since then, and now, it appears that the worst is over. While maybe not entirely symptom free quite yet, the duo are on the road to recovery.
Tom Hanks took to Twitter yesterday to tell the world that he and Rita Wilson are feeling better, and to give us all hope that if we all continue to self-isolate, we can successfully keep this from getting any worse.
As widespread as the coronavirus outbreak is, most of probably don't know anybody personally affected by it, which can make the whole thing feel much more distant than it really is. For those people, learning that Tom Hanks had contracted the virus has probably been as personal as it has been. Luckily, Hanks has never lost his good humor, which has endeared him to a generation of movie fans. On the one hand, learning Hanks had the virus was the worst news to get if you're a fan, but at the same time he's exactly the sort of positive, rational person, who can spread the right message after getting it.
Tom Hanks was in Australia to start filming a new movie about Elvis, where he'll be playing Col. Tom Parker, Elvis' longtime manager. Even if one of the film's major stars wasn't in quarantine, the movie likely would not be moving forward as most film and television productions are on hold right now. They all simply require too many people in proximity to each other, so filming has ceased on a number of movies. Which, in the grand scheme of things, is fine, since film releases are also on hold. Nothing is moving forward for at least the next couple of weeks, quite possibly longer.
Still, as we're all stuck at home trying to deal with the insanity around us, reading the clam and thoughtful words of Tom Hanks, we can all basically hear his voice saying this as we read them, might serve to help a lot of people. If Tom Hanks believes we can get through this, then certainly we can, right?
Tom Hanks isn't the only major name to have contracted Coronavirus. Idris Elba has also revealed that he tested positive for the disease, several others have as well, and there are likely many more names we know that are dealing with the disease in private.
It seems that it takes a good two weeks for coronavirus to run its course. Although, that doesn't mean that only two weeks of isolation will be sufficient. People are still coming in contact with each other, either in small groups or among people not taking isolation seriously. The virus will continue to be spread and as long as there's anybody out there capable of transmitting the virus, things can still continue.
