The coronavirus currently making its way around the world has already left untold damage, of lives as well as cultural and financial institutions. The future has become terrifyingly uncertain, and reassurances that all will be well once more are thin on the ground. But there’s some comfort to be had in the sober and even optimistic way Tom Hanks has handled becoming one of the first famous people to test positive for the virus.
On Wednesday it was revealed that Hanks, as well as his wife Rita Wilson, received the grim news while in Australia, where he was prepping to film Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley movie. (He was to play, and perhaps still will, the King’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker.) Word of the diagnosis left much of social media devastated, but Hanks himself remained upbeat, calm and collected, unsure of what lies ahead but also, seemingly, unafraid.
On Thursday night, some 24 hours after the news broke, Hanks added an update, this one just as reassuring.
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) March 13, 2020
“Hello folks. Rita Wilson and I want to thank everyone here Down Under who are taking such good care of us. We have Covid-19 and are in isolation so we do not spread it to anyone else. There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness. We are taking it one-day-at-a-time. There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other, no? Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball. Hanx
So there you go! Doesn’t that make you feel a bit better? Even those of us stocking up on supplies and ready to quarantine themselves in their homes for fear of either contracting the disease or spreading it to those who are more susceptible to its worst aspects. Hang in there, Hanx!
