Idris Elba tests positive for coronavirus despite showing no symptoms, self-isolates with wife Sabrina
Idris Elba took to Twitter to announce that he has tested positive for coronavirus. He posted a video with his wife Sabrina in which he shared that he had recently been exposed to someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. He also clarified that neither him nor his wife Sabrina are showing symptoms. Sabrina has not been tested yet but has quarantined herself with Elba.
Idris wrote in a tweet with the video: "This morning I tested positive for Covid 19. I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing. No panic."
The 'Luther' and 'The Wire' actor talked about why he got tested and decided to self-quarantine despite having no symptoms in the Twitter video. "I got some test results back and it came back positive, and it sucks. I’m doing okay, Sabrina hasn’t been tested and she’s doing okay. I didn’t have any symptoms. I got tested because I realized I was exposed to someone who had also tested positive. I found out last Friday that they were [sic] tested positive. I quarantined myself and got a test immediately and got the results back today."
The 'Thor' star also used his predicament to deliver a teaching moment asking others to be as transparent as possible to help battle the virus. "This is serious. Now is the time to think about social distancing, washing your hands. Beyond that, there are people out there who aren’t showing symptoms and that can easily spread it. So now is the time to be really vigilant about washing your hands and keeping your distance, okay?"
Elba also said that they were communicating with their near and dear ones during this crisis. "We’ve told our families, they’re very supportive. We’ve told our colleagues. Transparency is probably the best thing for this right now. If you’re feeling ill and you feel like you should be tested or you’ve been exposed, you do something about it. It’s really important. We live in a divided world right now, we can all feel it. It’s been bulls**t. But now is the time for solidarity. Now is the time for thinking about each other."
We couldn't have said it better. Hopefully, Elba's commonsense advice will have an effect because of his celebrity status.