Hollywood star Tom Hanks, on Thursday, released a statement on social media announcing that he and his wife Rita Wilson have been tested positive for coronavirus. The statement by the Forrest Gump actor has sent Twitter into a frenzy with the general sentiment on Twitter being: "No, not Tom Hanks, please." Tom Hanks is currently in Australia with wife Rita Wilson, where he was busy shooting for his upcoming Warner Bros film on Elvis Presley. In his statement, the 63-year-old actor wrote that he and his wife Rita "felt a bit tired" with "body colds" when they were tested for the coronavirus and "were found to be positive". The Sleepless in Seattle actor wrote: "We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive."
Here's the tweet by Tom Hanks that got Twitter praying for him:
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) March 12, 2020
Twitter is clearly upset and reacted with comments such as: "Why must bad things happen to good people?" Meanwhile, another user added: "Tom Hanks is gonna beat coronavirus cause he is a legend, then make a film about beating it." One user posted a picture of him holding a candle to a picture frame with collage of pictures of Tom Hanks and wrote, "Prayers up for Tom Hanks" while another netizen wrote: "Take me instead, chief."
Not the Hanks' too man pic.twitter.com/0y3pgCOqII
— Stephen A. Smith Burner (@SASBurnerAcct) March 12, 2020
Prayers up for Tom Hanks pic.twitter.com/1FCmboqpbB
— Daniel (@NiceGuyDaniel_) March 12, 2020
NOT TOM pic.twitter.com/2b2a161Gmk
— Skai (@skaijackson) March 12, 2020
WHY MUST BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE
— Maggie (@maggiiiekelller) March 12, 2020
TAKE ME INSTEAD CHIEF
— Tobias Sunshine (@TobiasSunshine) March 12, 2020
Tom Hanks is gunna beat corona virus cause he is a legend, then make a film about beating it. #Oscar
— Lewis Tan (@TheLewisTan) March 12, 2020
People were as sad as surprised:
Tom Hanks has the Coronavirus?
— HeisenBoogie (@Boogie2988) March 12, 2020
Shit just got serious.
NO NOT TOM HANKS ANYONE IN THE WORLD BUT TOM HANKS
— Mykie (@GlamandGore) March 12, 2020
Twitter was also hopeful about the Cast Away actor beating the virus at the soonest. One user posted a picture of Tom Hanks from Cast Away and wrote, "Tom Hanks survived years of quarantine. He'll be fine." p>
Tom Hanks survived years of quarantine. He'll be fine. pic.twitter.com/S8QAIwF3Or
— ADARSH SINGH (@Addysingg) March 12, 2020
With the news of Tom Hanks being tested positive for coronavirus, multiple Twitter users summed up how 2020 has fared so far.
2020 so far:
— Harshal (@iHarshalWatts) March 12, 2020
1. World War 3 almost happened
2. Kobe Bryant's death
3. Corona Virus
5. Tom Hanks has coronavirus
6. The NBA Season is cancelled
We're only 3 months in..pic.twitter.com/KCL6lwn6HJ
- The NBA Season is suspended
— Cloyd Rivers (@CloydRivers) March 12, 2020
- Tom Hanks has the coronavirus
- March Madness won't have fans
- Kobe Bryant died
- WW3 almost started.
Fck you, 2020. Merica.
Kobe gone
— Peligrosa (@AfroLatinaGold) March 12, 2020
Pop Smoke gone
NBA season gone
Tom Hanks got the coronavirus
Climate change still kicking our ass
It's only March pic.twitter.com/cQ9Jj2qfw9
Tom and Rita are currently in Australia's Gold Coast, where Tom Hanks was working on his film. Warner Bros, which is producing the film, said in a statement without naming Tom Hanks, "We have been made aware that a company member from our Elvis feature film, which is currently in pre-production in The Gold Coast, Australia, has tested positive for COVID-19. We are working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone who may have come in direct contact with the individual."
Australia, where Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were tested positive, has 136 confirmed cases of coronavirus and three deaths. The country on Thursday unveiled a massive US $11 billion spending plan designed to curb the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and avert the country's first recession in 29 years. The Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 was first detected at a seafood market in China's Wuhan. Over 100,000 people have been infected by the virus and it has claimed over 4,000 lives worldwide. The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in India now stands over 70.
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)
