Testing for the novel coronavirus has been on the rise in recent days, but that doesn’t mean everyone who is showing symptoms is guaranteed to be getting a test. Connecticut-based actor Justin Long recently revealed that he, his brother and his brother’s girlfriend Maggie all believe they have all gotten the viral disease, but that they aren’t in a “high risk” group, so like many others, were unable to get tested.
In new episodes of “Life is Short with Justin Long” the actor referred to his brother as “still slightly Covid-y,” also revealing how the three of them came into contact with the illness through Christian’s partner Maggie. Per Long:
Sadly, Christian’s girlfriend Maggie came back from her work trip and a couple of days later she was very ill. She had classic corona symptoms. She had a fever, dry cough, all the things that they’re saying people have with Covid.
Later, both Christian and Justin dealt with mild symptoms that seemed very similar to what Maggie had, with Christian noting “the exact same symptoms” cropped up a day after Maggie had them, including “achy-ness, some nausea, headaches and then the tightness in the chest.” Christian and Justin Long later said the Long family cases have not been confirmed.
Christian Long: Unfortunately, we can’t get the test because we’re not considered high enough risk.Justin Long: We both tried to get the test and as many of you know at this point you have to be in a high risk group which is older people and people with compromised immune systems or it has to be further along in your system or severe enough in your system. It sounds like this illness manifests itself in so many ways… maybe the most insidious part – and I think this is what happened to me – is a lot of people are asymptomatic or barely symptomatic.Christian Long: It’s like we have Corona light.
In addition, Justin Long said on another episode of his podcast that his brother Christian in particular was having some of the smell and taste symptoms that have come up with coronavirus, but that it seems to be coming back.
It’s very strange because you just learn to appreciate what taste is more. For instance, I’ll have a piece of pineapple and my tongue will know that there’s something sweet in my mouth. I can feel sweetness but I can’t pinpoint the pineapple. It’s different than when you have a cold, because when you have a cold and you’re all stuffed up you can’t taste anything. You’re just all blocked up.
The podcasts, which premiered last week, sounds as if they were recorded before many of the stay-at-home orders grew more serious across the United States, so it’s interesting to Justin Long hear Justin Long talk with David Harbour (who was on to promote Stranger Things Season 4) and his brother about the disease before some of the newer information has come in. In fact, at the point the podcast was recorded, the actors talk about how cases in New York were still fairly rare.
In addition, Justin Long also revealed he has a 103-year-old Grandmother who survived the Spanish Flu back in 1918, along with her other family members who caught the disease. Luckily the Long family and Christian's girlfriend say they are “OK” whether or whether not it was coronavirus and some symptoms, like the weird taste and smell thing detailed, have started to abate somewhat.
Long is certainly not the only celebrity who has probably had coronavirus. Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Idris Elba and others have revealed they've tested positive. In Elba's case, his symptoms were basically nil. Meanwhile, some other celebrities, including America's Got Talent judge Heidi Klum, have had trouble getting tested as well.
