tom hanks in a tuxedo and rita wilson in a beige dress on the left and tom hanks' instagram post featuring a latex glove in a yellow garbage can. 

The article explains the response to Tom Hanks' COVID-19 Coronavirus Diagnosis.

Tom Hanks' COVID-19 Coronavirus Diagnosis

Part of a series on COVID-19 Pandemic. [View Related Entries]

Updated Apr 28, 2020 at 04:00PM EDT by Adam.

Added Mar 12, 2020 at 11:28AM EDT by Matt.

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Overview

Tom Hanks' COVID-19 Coronavirus Diagnosis was announced on March 11th, 2020 in a series of social media posts by Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks. In the post, he said that he and his wife, actor Rita Wilson, felt ill during a trip to Australia, were tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 strain of coronavirus. Many online reacted with concern, posting memes expressing a desire for revenge and action against the virus.

Background

On March 11th, 2020, Tom Hanks posted from his verified Instagram [1] account that he and his wife, actor Rita Wilson, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 coronavirus. The post received more than 2.2 million likes in less than 24 hours (shown below, left). That day, Wilson posted a notice on the situation on her Instagram Stories[2] (shown below, right). Both messages featured largely the same content.

Hanks wrote:

Rita and I are down here in Australia. 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.

Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?


tomhanks o• Follow tomhanks e Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. 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. Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks' will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We'll keep the world posted and updated. 13 HOURS AGO Add a comment.. Post ritawilson • Follow 12h Hello, folks. Tom and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. I had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were both tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive. Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks' will be tested observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. to it than a one-day-at- a-time approach, no? We'll keep the world Not much more posted and updated.keep us in your prayers!

Developments

Online Reaction

Following the announcement, people reacted with concern for Hanks and Wilson. Twitter user @sloppyfemtop, for example, tweeted, "NOT TOM HANKS. NOT FORREST GUMP. NOT SHERIFF WOODY." The video, which featured a reaction of a woman crying, received more than 18,000 likes and 4,300 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below).

Others joked about Hanks' disagnosis, which the actor announced during a confluence of major news stories. Twitter[3] user @bellabee13 tweeted a "We Didn't Start the Fire" parody that reads, "Schools close, Tom Hanks, trouble in the big banks, no vaccine, quarantine, no more toilet paper seen. Travel ban, Weinstein, panic COVID-19, NBA, gone away, what else do I have to sayyyyyy." The post received more than 56,000 likes and 14,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, left).

Adult film studio Brazzers tweeted,[4] "Hey @tomhanks @RitaWilson looks like you're going to have a lot of free time on your hands, we've got you covered. DM us for your login info" (shown below, center).

Some used the news to comment on the United States government's response to the pandemic. Twitter[5] user @maxwellstrachan wrote, "just thankful tom hanks and rita wilson were outside the U.S. so they could get tested." The tweet received more than 52,000 likes and 5,300 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, right).


The Caffeinated Therapist @bellabee13 Schools close, Tom Hanks, trouble in the big banks, no vaccine, quarantine, no more toilet paper seen. Travel ban, Weinstein, panic COVID-19, NBA, gone away, what else do have to sayyyyyy Matt Warburton @MCWarburton · 11h Today was like if "we didn't start the fire" was a day. 12:29 AM - Mar 12, 2020 · Twitter Web App Brazzers BRAZZERS @Brazzers Hey @tomhanks @RitaWilson looks like you're going to have a lot of free time on your hands, we've got you covered. DM us for your login info 10:50 AM - Mar 12, 2020 · Twitter Web App maxwell @maxwellstrachan just thankful tom hanks and rita wilson were outside the U.S. so they could get tested 9:26 PM · Mar 11, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone


In addition, people began posting memes about the news. For example, @adam.the.creator posted a John Wick Reloading meme in response to the news that Hanks had been infected on Instagram.[6] The post received more than 33,000 likes in less than 24 hours (shown below).


Coronavirus: *infects Tom Hanks* Everyone: adam.the .creator

Media Coverage

Virtually every major news outlet reported the news about Hanks and Wilson, including The New York Times,[7] Fox News, [8] CNN,[9] BuzzFeed,[10] The Atlantic[11] and more.

Tom Hanks Holding Volley Ball Doctored Photograph

Following the news, the Australian satirical news website The Betoota Advocate[12] published the joke article "Gold Coast Hospital Staff Roll In A Wilson Volleyball To Keep Tom Hanks Company In Quarantine." The post features a photograph of Hanks holding Wilson the volleyball from the film Cast Away. Some began posting the photograph as if it were a legitimate piece of news (shown below).[10]


Doogs @Doogsta Shkar @ShkarValyrian Tom Hanks has #Coronavirus He also has a cracking sense of humour. While admitted in the hospital, the nurses brought Tom Hanks this precious gift to cheer him up, Wilson from Gold Coast Hospital Staff Roll In A Volleyball To Keep Castaway movie Tom Hanks Company In Quarantine.

Chet Hanks Response

That night, Hanks and Wilson's son Chet posted a video on Instagram, stating that his parents were in good spirits and doing well (shown below).



Recovery and Plasma Donation

On April 18th, 2020, Tom Hanks appeared on NPR's Wait, Wait… Don't Tell Me![13] and detailed that he and Rita Wilson had tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus and were "doing just dandy" after a tough recovery period. He also said the couple was volunteering their blood in the hopes of helping researchers develop a cure, or a "Hank-ccine," as the actor joked.

The news led to jokes about people being injected with Tom Hanks' blood, which were collected by eBaum's World.[14]


Neeraj K. Agrawal @NeerajKA before and after they inject me with tom hanks' blood 10:51 PM · Apr 25, 2020 · TweetDeck Black Jackson @Kaibutsu Get that Tom Hanks blood transfusion and the next thing you know... WATCH ME GUMP NOW WATCH ME JEN-NAE imgflip.com 8:42 PM · Apr 25, 2020 · TweetDeck

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