ABC/Heidi Gutman(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE LANGUAGE) Idris Elba is the latest celebrity to test positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. The U.K. actor made the announcement Monday on Twitter, after getting his results the same day.
“This morning I tested positive for COVID-19,” he tweeted. “I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic.”
Elba appeared in a video with his wife, Sabrina. He says, “Yeah, and it sucks,” but he says and his wife are doing ok. He also said Sabrina had not yet been tested.
Elba says he found out last Friday he had been around someone who tested positive for the virus, after which he immediately quarantined himself and got tested. He went on to encourage everyone to wash their hands and practice social distancing and alert family, friends, and colleagues. “Transparency is probably the best thing for this right now,” he said, also noting, “[T]here are people out there who aren’t showing symptoms and that can easily spread it.
“We live in a divided world right now — we can all feel it,” Elba added. “It’s been bull****. But now is the time for solidarity, now is the time for thinking about each other.”
Elba concluded the video with, “Stay positive, don’t freak out.”
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