Tom Hanks opens up about surviving COVID 19; Recalls asking ‘Am I a red flag case?’ to the doctors

Tom Hanks recently talked about what it was like to survive the Coronavirus alongside wife Rita Wilson. The Sleepless In Seattle actor spoke in detail about what went through his mind while being treated. Read the actor’s full story below.

By Pinkvilla Desk

Updated on Jul 07, 2020 | 10:48 PM IST | 2.1M

Tom Hanks opens up about surviving COVID 19; Recalls asking ‘Am I a red flag case?’ to the doctors

After surviving battle with COVID-19 alongside wife Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks is sharing details about his fight with the deadly virus. In a new interview, the 63-year-old actor spoke in detail about what it was like to catch the virus so early on. The pair were the first A-list celebrities to publicly announce their diagnoses back in March, while they were in Australia. They have since recovered and are back in their home in Los Angeles.

"Our discomfort because of the virus was pretty much done in two weeks. We had very different reactions, and that was odd," Hanks explains to The Guardian. "My wife lost her sense of taste and smell, she had severe nausea, she had a much higher fever than I did. I just had crippling body aches. I was very fatigued all the time and I couldn't concentrate on anything for more than about 12 minutes. That last bit is kinda like my natural state anyway," Tom joked.

Hello folks. @ritawilson 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

"When we were in the hospital, I said, 'I'm 63, I have type 2 diabetes, I had a stent in my heart-–am I a red flag case?' But as long as our temperatures did not spike, and our lungs did not fill up with something that looked like pneumonia, they were not worried," he continues. "I'm not one who wakes up in the morning wondering if I'm going to see the end of the day or not. I’m pretty calm about that."

As Coronavirus cases continue to spike in multiple states across the country, Hanks believes there's "really only three things" everyone should do: "Wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands. I know societally it's been politicised, but I don't get it, man," he says. "I don't understand how anyone can put their foot down and say, 'I don’t have to do my part.'"

As for Wilson, ET recently spoke with her about what it's been like spending so much time at home amid the pandemic. "In some ways, it's been a very creative time, and in some, it's been a very reflective time," she shared. "I read this really good Socrates quote the other day, which read, 'Beware of the barrenness of busy life,' and I think that we are absolutely able to reflect on that right now when we are in quarantine and thinking about what's important."