The actor says he's still 'asymptomatic' after testing positive for the flu-like virus.
A day after announcing his positive coronavirus test, Idris Elba took to social media to chat live with fans about his health and some of the rumors surrounding the illness.
"It's been a mad 24 hours, as you can probably guess," Elba told fans via a live Periscope video. "Yesterday was good and bad, you know what I mean?"
While Elba was obviously discouraged by the his diagnosis, he said receiving an outpouring of well wishes and being in touch with fans online has helped him stay "positive and optimistic." He was also heartened by the knowledge that his announcement "opened up a lot of conversation" surrounding coronavirus.
"I think it made it a lot more real for some people," Elba explained. "Definitely made it a lot more real for me and my family... And the end of the day, my wife and I felt like it was the right thing to do, to share what we're going through, because we ain't the only ones."
The Cats star confirmed his known contact with the virus occurred on March 4, the same day he attended WE Day 2020 at the SSE Arena, Wembley, and posed for pictures alongside Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. The wife of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has also tested positive for coronavirus.
Elba said that he is currently "asymptomatic" and "feeling OK."
"Woke up this morning, didn't have any symptoms," he recounted. "My voice is a little bit tired, I just didn't sleep that well, but still don't have any symptoms. I'm checking my fever twice a day, and feel good, feel OK."
While he made the decision to quarantine himself after learning about his contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus, Elba has been joined in isolation by his wife, Sabrina, whom he said received a coronavirus test on Tuesday. He said the couple was able to procure the tests quickly because he is on location and was about to start work on a new film. "Generally, Sabrina's fine," he said. "Nervous, of course, worried."
Elba explained that the couple made the decision together for her to join him in quarantine, assuming she would also test positive for coronavirus. "As much as we talked about her not coming to where I am, she did, and wanted to. And I love her even more for it, and I would do the same for her... Love is all you can get."
The actor also noted that he's been reading a lot about the virus during his quarantine and urged fans and followers to stop spreading misinformation about the dangers of coronavirus transmission and infection -- especially within the black community.
"Please understand that you can get it," he said. "Stop sending out these stupid WhatsApp messages [and conspiracy theories] about black people not being able to get it. That's ridiculous."
After sharing his diagnosis, Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared his support for Elba.
"Take care and stay strong, @idriselba! I admire your brave and powerful message to the world. We're all in this together. Solidarity will beat the #coronavirus. #COVID19," he tweeted.
Other celebrities to contract the illness include Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, who revealed they were diagnosed with the flu-like virus -- which can be fatal in the most extreme cases -- last week.
See more about how Hollywood is responding to the coronavirus pandemic in the video below.
RELATED CONTENT:
