Coronavirus: Tom Hanks says he has the ‘blahs’ but no fever in isolation

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus, the actor said in a statement on March 11. Image: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File

NEW YORK — Tom Hanks says he feels the “blahs” but has no fever as he and wife Rita Wilson remain in isolation in an Australian residence after being discharged from a hospital following their coronavirus diagnosis.

A representative for the Oscar winner confirmed Tuesday that the pair were no longer hospitalized, and Hanks himself provided an update saying he was doing chores and getting beaten by his wife in cards as they remain self-quarantined.

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“Hey folks. Good news: One week after testing positive, in self-isolation, the symptoms are much the same. No fever but the blahs. Folding the laundry and doing the dishes leads to a nap on the couch. Bad news: my wife has won 6 straight hands of Gin Rummy and now leads by 201 points,” he posted on social media Tuesday evening.

Instead of a photo of himself or his wife, the post showed an old typewriter that he traveled with “that I used to love. We are all in this together. Flatten the curve,” he wrote, promoting the idea of social distancing to prevent further spread of the disease.

The couple arrived in Australia in late January on the Gold Coast, where an Elvis Presley biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann was to be shot. Hanks plays Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The film, slated for release in October 2021, has suspended production, Warner Bros. said.

Wilson, a singer-songwriter, has performed in Brisbane and Sydney during the couple’s stay in Australia.

Australian television journalist Richard Wilkins has revealed that he tested positive for the virus on Sunday. He had met Wilson at the Sydney Opera House on March 7 and again at Nine Network’s Sydney studio two days later.

Two Nine Network hosts who interviewed Wilson on live television on March 9, David Campbell and Belinda Russell, returned to work on Tuesday after testing negative. They had been in home isolation since Wilson’s diagnosis.

Authorities said last week that several contacts Hanks and Wilson had in Australia were being traced, but no other results of those efforts have been made public.

The virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, for most people but can be severe in some cases, especially older adults and people with existing health problems. People with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may need six weeks to recover.

Sydney Nova 96.9 radio hosts Ryan Fitzgerald and Michael Wipfli are in home isolation and were tested on Monday after news of Wilkins’ infection.

Wilkins broadcast from their studio on Thursday with Ten Network television entertainment editor Angela Bishop hours before Wilson’s diagnosis was made public. Bishop has also been tested and is isolated at home.

Wilkins’ son Christian Wilkins was also tested because he spent the night of March 10 in his father’s Sydney home. The 25-year-old son is competing in the Australian version of the reality TV show “Dancing With the Stars,” which is being broadcast without a studio audience because of the COVID-19 risk. NVG

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