As reported on Wednesday night, Tom Hanks revealed that he and wife Rita Wilson tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The two fell ill during the production of Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis biopic (Hanks plays Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker), and the Oscar winner said that they’re taking a “one-day-at-a-time approach” and following medical protocols. Although coronavirus can cause very severe effects (including death), Hanks maintained an optimistic tone, but fans were quite rattled (and understandably so) by the news.
One of Hanks and Wilson’s sons, Chet Hanks Haze (who recently surfaced at the Globes), spoke out on Instagram to reassure the public that his parents were doing alright despite the diagnosis. Haze tends to careen into controversy, but here, he stayed levelheaded relative to his usual ways. Haze calmly insisted that Hanks and Wilson are doing “fine” and “not trippin'” over the diagnosis. He appeared shirtless and began, “Wassup everyone. Yeah, it’s true my parents got coronavirus. Crazy.” He continued:
“I just got off the phone with them. They both are fine. They’re not even that sick. They’re not worried about it. They’re not trippin’ but they’re going through the necessary health precautions, obviously. I don’t think it’s anything to be too worried about. I appreciate everyone’s concern and the well wishes. I think it’s all going to be alright. I appreciate it. Everybody stay safe out there. Much love.”
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Chet’s older brother, Colin Hanks, also issued a statement via Instagram about his parents and concluded that he’s “confident that they will make a full recovery.”
Previously, Hanks wrote that he and Wilson “felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches” before the pair got tested. He added that Wilson also felt chills, and they sustained fevers. Although both Hanks and Wilson are 63 years old, the Saving Private Ryan actor portrayed a positive outlook, which Haze also exudes in his Instagram post. A few weeks ago, Haze had posted a photo of himself wearing a mask at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
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Also on Wednesday, President Trump announced a number of steps to address the pandemic in an effort to curtail the spread of the highly contagious virus. This includes a freeze on travel into the U.S. by European nationals as well as economic measures and a “safe social distancing” suggestion. As of this writing, at least 1,200 people have been diagnosed in the U.S. with coronavirus, and that includes at least 38 deaths. Via CNN, the worldwide death toll is over 4,600 with the virus infecting over 124,500 people.
