Netflix star Zoey Deutch among celebrities who have had COVID-19
When screen icon Tom Hanks announced on March 11 that he and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, they were the first stars to share their diagnoses.
Since then, many other celebrities have said that they too have contracted the respiratory illness, with varying symptoms.
On May 19, Netflix star Zoey Deutch revealed via Vulture that she fell ill with COVID-19 “early on, before the shutdown,” and has since recovered.
Some entertainers, including singer-songwriter John Prine, musician Adam Schlesinger of the band Fountains of Wayne and playwright Terrence McNally, have died from complications related to the virus.
Here are the celebrities who are known to have been infected with the coronavirus.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
On March 16, Hollywood power couple Hanks and Wilson, both 63, were reportedly no longer hospitalized in isolation after being diagnosed with the virus.
The pair were self-quarantining in Australia, where the “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” actor was in pre-production on Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated Elvis Presley biopic, starring Austin Butler as the titular rocker and Hanks as his manager, Col. Tom Parker.
“Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball,” Hanks wrote on Instagram after his diagnosis, quoting one of his lines from 1992’s “A League of Their Own.”
On March 22, Hanks said that he and Wilson were starting to “feel better” and Wilson said she was brushing up on her rap skills.
Idris Elba
English star Elba tested positive for the virus March 16, according to a video he shared with millions of Twitter followers.
“This morning, I got some test results back for coronavirus, and it came back positive ... and it sucks,” Elba, 47, said in the clip before assuring everyone that he was “doing OK.”
“I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus,” he wrote on Twitter. “Stay home people and be pragmatic.”
In another video the next day, Elba dispelled the “weird myth” that black people were immune to the virus and urged everyone to take it seriously.
Olga Kurylenko
French Ukrainian actress and model Kurylenko, 40, announced March 15 on Instagram that she was “locked up at home after having tested positive for Coronavirus.”
Kurylenko, known for starring alongside Daniel Craig in the 2008 James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace,” also noted that she had “actually been ill for almost a week now” with symptoms including “fever and fatigue.”
She later said in a follow-up post that she hadn’t been hospitalized to make room for “patients that are struggling with life.”
“Thank you to everyone who has sent me well wishes,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed with everyone’s kindness.”
Kristofer Hivju
“Game of Thrones” alum Hivju also took to Instagram on March 16 to announce that he had been diagnosed and was “self-isolating at home for as long as it takes.”
The 41-year-old Norwegian actor, who played crass “GoT” fan favorite Tormund Giantsbane, clarified that he was “in good health” and that he had only “mild symptoms of a cold.”
“There are people at higher risk for who this virus might be a devastating diagnosis, so I urge all of you to be extremely careful,” he wrote. “Wash your hands, keep 1.5 meters distance from others, go in quarantine; just do everything you can to stop the virus from spreading.”
Rachel Matthews
American actress Matthews, who voiced Northuldra member Honeymaren in “Frozen 2,” said she was in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, according to her Instagram story.
“Unsure of what the next step is (been getting mixed info so will keep you posted) but obviously will remain in quarantine until told to do otherwise,” the 26-year-old wrote March 16. “Let’s please be mindful of our decisions — now is the time to be smart and responsible. Let’s take care of one another!!”
Matthews’ early symptoms included “sore throat, fatigue, headache,” as well as a “mild fever,” “shortness of breath” and a “deep, dry cough.” She updated followers later that same day that she was “feeling better.”
Charlotte Lawrence
American singer-songwriter Lawrence, 19, announced March 17 on Instagram that she too had been infected with the virus.
“I am going to be completely fine,” the “Sleep Talking” artist wrote. “But many who get it won’t be if too many people get sick too quickly. So this is not me asking for prayers, for love, for sweet messages. This is me pleading for you all to protect those less able to survive this virus.”
Lawrence, who was recently featured on Warner Bros.’ “Birds of Prey” soundtrack, echoed fellow patients’ requests to “stay inside. Please.”
“Think about your parents. Think about your grandparents,” she continued. “Think about someone else getting your loved ones sick because they don’t listen, because they thought they knew better. Because they were selfish.”
Daniel Dae Kim
On March 19, 51-year-old actor Kim posted a 10-minute video on Instagram detailing his “experience fighting the coronavirus.”
“Looks like I’ll be OK, but I wanted share my journey with you in the hopes that you find it informative or helpful,” the “Hawaii Five-0” star wrote in his caption.
Kim explained that before he tested positive, he was “in New York shooting a role on a TV series where, ironically, I play a doctor who gets recruited to a hospital to help patients during a flu pandemic.”
The actor was asymptomatic at first but said that after he started showing symptoms he was able to get checked for the virus at a “drive-through testing facility that had just opened” in his home of Honolulu.
“For all those out there — especially teenagers and millennials — who think this is not serious, please know that it is,” he said. “And if you treat this without care, you are potentially endangering the lives of millions of people, including your loved ones.”
Kim said March 30 on social media that he was finally “virus-free,” though admitted he’d had “a bit of a setback” after his course of medication ended.
Mwana FA
The Tanzanian rapper posted a video March 19 on Instagram revealing that he had tested positive for the virus and said, in Swahili, that he was doing OK.
While in quarantine after his diagnosis, he urged everyone to be careful and take proper health precautions to avoid catching the illness.
Colton Underwood
“The Bachelor” star announced on social media March 20 that he “became symptomatic a few days ago, got my test results [for COVID-19] back today, and they are positive.”
“It’s been kicking my [butt], just to put it very bluntly,” the 28-year-old said in a brief video message. “The main thing is I can’t even walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath or go to the bathroom without having to sit down because I’m exhausted.”
In his new book, Colton Underwood — who was recently diagnosed with coronavirus — talks about being manipulated by producers on “The Bachelor.”
Outlining his symptoms in a follow-up post, Underwood said he had experienced “headache, body aches, night sweats, fever, shortness of breath and a cough” as well as trouble “doing simple tasks like ... getting out of bed.
“The reason I’m sharing this is not to cause fear or panic but to hopefully encourage you guys to stay at home. Do your part. Take care of yourselves Take care of one another.”
Andy Cohen
“Watch What Happens Live” host Cohen, 51, said March 20 that “after a few days of self-quarantine, and not feeling great,” he had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
Ten days later he was recovering and announced he would start broadcasting his show from his apartment.
“As much as I felt like I could push through whatever I was feeling to do [‘Watch What Happens Live’] from home, we’re putting a pin in that for now so I can focus on getting better,” he wrote on Instagram on March 20. “I want to thank all the medical professionals who are working tirelessly for all of us, and urge everybody to stay home and take care of themselves.”
Debi Mazar
Mazar, 55, known for her roles in series including “Entourage” and “Younger,” said she started feeling ill on March 15, with intense body pains and a 102.4-degree fever.
The actress said she exhibited similar symptoms to what her husband and daughters had about a month ago. She asked a doctor friend if she could get tested on March 16, but the doctor said no because she did not meet the criteria, as Mazar had not traveled out of the country or had known contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
“I found this kind of a CRAZY criteria for a NY’er as I had taken the subway, gone to the theater, the grocery store, the pharmacy, hair salon, etc.” Mazar wrote on Instagram.
She later went to an urgent care clinic on March 17 to get tested and then was sent home to self-quarantine. On March 21, Mazar said she found out that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
“One day I feel crappy and the next I’m normal,” Mazar wrote. “Today my lungs are heavy, but I’m tough.”
She said she and her family were under quarantine. Her family is not showing any symptoms, she added.
David Bryan
David Bryan, keyboardist and founding member of rock band Bon Jovi, said on March 21 that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
“I’ve been sick for a week and feeling better each day,” Bryan, 58, said on Instagram, urging people not to be afraid.
“Please help out each other,” Bryan wrote. “This will be over soon... with the help of every American!!”
Plácido Domingo
Opera singer Domingo announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in a Facebook post on March 22.
“My family and I are all in self isolation for as long as it is deemed medically necessary,” wrote Domingo, 79, who said he’d experienced fever and cough symptoms. “Together we can fight the virus and stop the current worldwide crisis so we can hopefully return to our normal daily lives very soon. Please follow your local government’s guidelines and regulations for staying safe and protecting not just yourselves but our entire community.”
The tenor-turned-baritone — whose previously stellar career suffered after reports of sexual harassment arose last year — announced March 30 that he felt “fine” and was resting at home. That followed an earlier report that he had been hospitalized.
Aaron Tveit
Theater star Tveit, 36, announced March 23 on Instagram that he had tested positive for COVID-19, has “been in quarantine since Broadway shows shut down” and is “feeling much better.”
“I consider myself extremely lucky that my symptoms have been very mild — cold like with no fever — as so many are experiencing much more serious symptoms, because this is a very dangerous virus,” the “Wicked” and “Moulin Rouge!” actor wrote. “One thing I have been experiencing is the loss of taste and smell, which I think is a big sign for people who are otherwise [asymptomatic].”
Tveit and several other Broadway performers recently participated remotely in Rosie O’Donnell’s live benefit show, which raised $500,000 for the the Actors Fund, according to the host’s social media.
“I want everyone to realize that this can affect anyone,” Tveit said. “Even if you aren’t feeling sick or showing drastic symptoms — please take heed, stay safe, stay healthy and I hope to see everyone at the theater again soon.”
Greg Rikaart
Longtime “The Young and the Restless” cast member Rikaart announced March 23 on Instagram that he “just tested positive” for COVID-19 after having “a fever for 11 days, difficulty breathing” and being “diagnosed with pneumonia.”
“I am a pretty healthy 43-year-old who doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink much, eats well and exercises regularly and this has been the hardest experience of my life,” he wrote. “Two+ weeks ago, everyone in my house had a bit of a cough and my son came home from school with a high fever. Everyone recovered, but I deteriorated.”
Last week, Rikaart documented his struggle to get tested, reporting that three doctor’s offices, including that of his primary caregiver, had “refused” to see him because he “didn’t meet the CDC threshold.”
“I’m confident that I have finally turned the proverbial corner and am fever free today for the first time since this all started,” he continued after announcing his COVID-19 diagnosis. “So, nice try coronavirus, but I have another 4-5 decades worth of experiences to have with [my family].”
Experts say California will likely continue to see a surge in new cases and deaths in the coming weeks but hope that social distancing makes a difference.
Natalie Horler
The lead singer of Cascada took to Instagram on March 23 to let her followers know she tested positive for the virus and would “not leave the house at all for the next 14 days and be in full blown quarantine.”
“I’m still getting used to the thought, but saying that- nothing much changes about my everyday life really,” the 38-year-old “Every Time We Touch” artist wrote. “My case will most likely be mild, so the most important thing is to protect everyone else who may be at risk.”
Slim Thug
In an Instagram video captioned “just found out I got [coronavirus],” rapper Slim Thug announced March 24 that he tested positive despite self-isolating and wearing a mask and gloves when going out for “simple stuff” like food.
“Y’all gotta take this stuff serious,” the 39-year-old said in the clip. “Sit at home, self-quarantine. Do not come outside for however long they saying. If you have symptoms, you need to go get checked out or whatever.”
The “Welcome 2 Houston” artist added that he previously “had a slight fever and a cough” but isn’t currently experiencing any problems.
“I feel better now,” he told his million-plus followers. “I have no fever … nothing like that, so I feel like I’m good. But y’all better take it serious. It’s real out here.”
Jackson Browne
After announcing his diagnosis on March 24, singer-songwriter Browne told The Times he was feeling “OK” and lucky he “didn’t have to go to the hospital or use any supplies or medications that others really need.”
“I’m not bad at all,” he said. “My physical symptoms have mostly abated. In fact, there’s very little of it left.”
The “Running on Empty” hitmaker explained that he was able to get tested through his private physician and that Jackson passed the illness onto his eldest son, who has also been self-isolating with mild symptoms.
Laura Bell Bundy
The Broadway star, known for playing Amber Von Tussle in “Hairspray” and Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” said in a March 25 Instagram video that she tested positive for COVID-19 and is OK.
Bundy’s symptoms have included a headache, sore throat, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.
“It’s very, very scary. Of course I’m scared,” the 38-year-old actress said, adding that her husband had also shown symptoms. “I highly encourage everybody to stay inside. My belief is that more people have this than they realize and could be carriers.”
Scarface
Veteran rapper Scarface, best known for his role in the pioneering Southern hip-hop group Geto Boys, announced March 26 that he’d been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Speaking in a livestream with his bandmate Willie D, Scarface, 49, said he’d been sick for some time and had taken several tests before finally receiving a positive result from his doctors late Wednesday night.
“I been to the point where I just felt like I was gonna die, bro,” said the rapper, who added that he hadn’t traveled recently. “I threw up so much until it was just, like, hot sauce… I didn’t have no food in my stomach — it was just coming up like bile.”
In an April 22 livestream with Willie D, Scarface revealed he is now on dialysis after suffering from kidney failure. “I fought the COVID, double bilateral pneumonia and kidney failure all in my house,” he said.
“This my new lifeline. I’ve got to change my entire diet. I’ve got to do dialysis four times a week, three hours a day,” he sad. “Before the COVID, I never had kidney problems before.”
Born Brad Jordan, Scarface helped make Houston an important hip-hop capital in the late 1980s and early 1990s with Geto Boys, whose hits include the anguished yet hard-hitting “My Mind Playing Tricks on Me.” Bushwick Bill, another member of the group, died last year at age 52.
Tom Rush
The 79-year-old folk and blues singer-songwriter announced March 28 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
“I have no idea where I picked it up but strongly suspect it was sometime on or after March 11th when I was on my way north from my string of shows in NC, GA and FL early in March,” Rush said on social media and in an email to fans.
He advised people who had been at those five shows to be “extra-vigilant” for symptoms of COVID-19, particularly if they had shaken hands or taken selfies with him in the lobby.
Chris Cuomo
The veteran broadcast journalist, 49, reported March 31 on Twitter that he has contracted the virus and had experienced “fever, chills and shortness of breath.”
“In these difficult times that seem to get more difficult and complicated by the day, I just found out that I am positive for [COVID-19],” he wrote. “I just hope that I didn’t give it to the kids and [wife] Cristina. That would make me feel worse than this illness!”
The “Cuomo Prime Time” host is quarantined in his basement and vowed to continue filming shows from there. According to CNN, Cuomo last worked in the office in New York on March 27. He recently interviewed his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while anchoring from home on March 30.
Brian Stokes Mitchell
The Tony winner known for his performances in “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Ragtime” and other musicals revealed April 1 on Twitter that he “just got confirmation that I have indeed tested positive for the coronavirus.”
“I’ve been laying low for the last number of days because I could feel my body fighting something unusual,” the 62-year-old said in his video message. “The good news is, over the last few days, I’ve isolated myself and come to you from the bedroom right now.”
Mitchell also noted that his wife and son have been “100% asymptomatic” and thanked his family “for everything you’ve been doing for me.”
Ali Wentworth
The “Nightcap” mastermind took to Instagram on April 1 to announce she had tested positive for the virus and has “never been sicker.”
“I’m quarantined from my family,” wrote the 55-year-old actress, who is married to “Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopoulos. “This is pure misery.”
Wentworth later appeared on “GMA” to go into more detail about her experience, which has included a “high fever,” “horrific body aches” and a “heavy chest.”
“Achy joints is a big thing. It feels like a really, really horrible flu,” she told the morning show. “And you know, I’m still in it now, but I can tell you the things that help [are] Tylenol, chicken soup. I took some hot baths when I had chills and I have two dogs that sleep on my bed with me.”
Ray Benson
The Asleep at the Wheel frontman posted about his COVID-19 diagnosis April 1 on Facebook after being “bed ridden with headaches and extreme fatigue/dizziness” in recent weeks.
“I made an appointment with my Dr on Saturday March 21st to see what was up,” the 69-year-old country singer wrote. “Got tests for Flu, etc.. All came back negative. I then asked for a COVID 19 test. They said they didn’t have any! So I just went back home and hunkered down to see if it went away. Unfortunately, the same symptoms kept occurring/progressing.”
While Benson was eventually able to get tested, he encouraged his followers to “please use your voice to demand getting testing out to everyone NOW!”
“It took basically testing for everything else to acquire a COVID 19 test. Luckily I wasn’t around that many people within this time frame and was practicing the standard things like washing your hands/sanitizer, wearing a mask at Dr’s, keeping proper distance etc.” he continued. “Please follow the safety guidelines out there, if you think or subscribe to those folks who’s opinion is that this virus isn’t that big of a deal, please consider otherwise.”
YNW Melly
The team behind the “Mixed Personalities” artist’s Instagram account announced April 2 that YNW Melly had contracted the virus and plans to file a motion for restricted release from prison “in hopes of better care.”
According to Billboard, the 20-year-old rapper was charged with two counts of murder in the first degree in February and is now being held at a Broward County, Fla., jail while he awaits trial.
“He hopes for your support and to recover soon,” the Instagram update read. “Send positive energy to him please.”
Brooke Baldwin
The “CNN Newsroom” host went public with her diagnosis April 3 on Instagram and is looking forward “to being back on [TV] and seeing you real soon.”
“It came suddenly yesterday afternoon,” the 40-year-old journalist wrote, adding that she experienced chills, aches and a fever. “I’ve been social distancing. Doing ALL the things we’re being told to do. Still — it got me.”
Baldwin also included a brief tribute to “Lean on Me” singer-songwriter Bill Withers, who died on March 30 in Los Angeles from heart complications.
“I am listening to Bill Withers on repeat,” she said. “I knew him, adored him and will miss him.”
Sara Bareilles
The “Love Song” hitmaker casually mentioned in an April 2 Instagram story that she “had a VERY MILD case of” COVID-19 but is now “totally fine and fully recovered.”
“Thank you all for the concern,” the 40-year-old artist wrote with a video of herself busting a move in self-quarantine. “Couple of rough days but I promise I’m fine. Please enjoy how good my dancing has gotten with all this practice time.”
Nancy Silverton
The famed Mozzaplex chef has also contracted the virus, according to an April 3 entry on partner Michael Krikorian’s personal website.
After learning that they had been in contact with someone who had the virus, both Silverton and Krikorian got tested and hers came back positive, he wrote. The pair are now quarantined at their home in Los Angeles.
“That’s hard to write, What i love to write is Nancy has has no symptoms,” Krikorian said. “[We] have got hooked to two shows. ‘The Restaurant’ and, of all things ‘Let’s Make a Deal.’ ‘I’m one of the lucky ones so far,’ Nancy said.”
Christopher Cross
On April 3, Grammy winner Cross called the virus “possibly the worst illness” he’s ever had in a Facebook post.
“I’m not in the habit of discussing medical issues on social media, but I do so in hope this will help other people to understand how serious and how contagious this illness is,” the 68-year-old “Sailing” artist wrote, including a link to the CDC’s website.
“For those of you who still do not believe the COVID-19 virus is real, or think it is a ‘hoax’ or part of some conspiracy, my advice to you is to understand right now that this is a deadly illness spreading like wildfire throughout the world.”
Pink
On April 3, pop star Pink, 40, revealed on Instagram that she had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“Two weeks ago,” wrote the singer born Alecia Moore, “my three-year old son, Jameson, and I are were showing symptoms of COVID-19. Fortunately, our primary care physician had access to tests and I tested positive. My family was already sheltering at home and we continued to do so for the last two weeks following the instruction of our doctor. Just a few days ago we were re-tested and are now thankfully negative.”
She went on to say that “it is an absolute travesty and failure of our government to not make testing more widely accessible. This illness is serious and real. People need to know that the illness affects the young and old, healthy and unhealthy, rich and poor, and we must make testing free and more widely accessible to protect our children, our families, our friends and our communities.”
She added that she is donating $500,000 to the Temple University Hospital Emergency Fund in Philadelphia and an additional $500,000 to the city of Los Angeles Mayor’s Emergency COVID-19 Crisis Fund.
Marianne Faithfull
Faithfull, the raspy-voiced singer and rock ‘n’ roll muse, was hospitalized in London in late March and treated for COVID-19.
Rolling Stone reported that Faithfull’s manager, François Ravard, issued a statement April 4 saying that the 73-year-old singer, songwriter, actor and author was “stable and responding to treatment.”
Faithfull’s longtime friend and New York-based performance artist Penny Arcade posted on her Facebook page April 4 that the singer had been hospitalized since March 31.
On April 22, Faithfull’s official social media accounts reported that the singer was on the mend: “We are really happy to say that Marianne has been discharged from hospital today, 22 days after being admitted suffering from the symptoms of Covid-19. She will continue to recuperate in London,” a statement read.
And
John Taylor
Taylor, bassist for English new wave band Duran Duran, revealed April 5 on Facebook that, after coming down with a “mild” case of COVID-19, he has made a full recovery.
“After a week or so of what I would describe as a ‘Turbo-charged Flu’, I came out of it feeling okay — although I must admit I didn’t mind the quarantine as it gave me the chance to really recover,” wrote the musician, describing himself as “a particularly robust 59 year old.”
“I am speaking out in answer to the enormous amount of fear being generated by the pandemic, some of it entirely justified, and my heart goes out to everyone who has had to deal with real loss and pain. But I want to let you know that it isn’t always a killer, and we can and will beat this thing.”
Advice from an ER doctor: “If you can’t think clearly and can’t breathe and speak normally … that’s a reason to come in.”
BeBe Winans
Winans, a six-time Grammy-winning gospel and R&B singer, discussed his recovery from COVID-19 in an April 8 interview with Joe Madison on his SiriusXM show.
Despite being cautious, “when the outbreak started, I did just a little travel,” said Winans. “I was actually in New York and I was like, well, I’m going to Detroit because I had a friend pass and we were having a funeral and just that little travel, I caught it.
“When I got home I just started coughing out of nowhere. ... Then the fatigue came on and the chills and [my] appetite went away. I called my doctor and he said ‘OK BeBe, stay home, this is what you do,’” he continued.
Winans then revealed that his mother and brother are also recovering from the virus.
“Being on the other side of it now, I’m just grateful ... I just finished my run and through the whole run, I was just saying, God, I thank you. I thank you because it could have been a different outcome for me and my family,” said Winans. “I’ve learned to be more grateful for life itself.”
Todd Chrisley
Reality TV personality Chrisley revealed his COVID-19 struggle, which included three days in the hospital, on his and his wife Julie Chrisley’s April 8 podcast.
“I have been battling corona for three weeks, I was in the hospital for four and a half days — fever between 100 to 103, and it has been the sickest that I have ever been in the 52 years that I have been on this Earth,” the “Chrisley Knows Best” star shared.
He had symptoms for a couple of days, was diagnosed at an urgent care in Tennessee, spent a week fighting it at home and finally went to an emergency room.
The Tennessee resident said he’s currently at “about 70-75%” of his normal strength.
Jennifer Aydin
In an Instagram post titled,”Why I’ve been MIA,” the 42-year-old “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star said she tested positive for the virus on April 6 and has been “sick for the past 10 days.”
“Today is the first day that I’m finally starting to feel better,” Aydin wrote on April 8. “Keeping my kids away has been the hardest and I’m grateful that I have no breathing issues. My days haven’t been so bad, aside from a lot of fatigue and sleeping.”
She also detailed some of her treatment methods and encouraged followers to stay positive and stay inside.
“At night is when it’s the worst for me because of the mix of sweating and chills,” she said, adding in a video message that she’d lost her sense of taste and smell. “I’m taking my vitamins and drinking hot liquids. We’ll all get through this.”
Babyface
Singer-songwriter Babyface took to Instagram on his 62nd birthday to announce his COVID-19 diagnosis and recovery.
“I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate another birthday,” he wrote on April 10. “It’s an incredibly scary thing to go through my friends. I’m happy to report [my family and I] have now tested negative and are on our way back to full health.”
Up next, Babyface will take on fellow musician Teddy Riley in an Instagram beat battle on April 18, to “show them what Hip Hop/R&B music really means to the world!”
Sturgill Simpson
On April 11, Simpson shared a weeks-old photo of himself lying in an emergency room hospital bed, revealing his diagnosis in a lengthy Instagram post condemning the United States’ response to the public health crisis.
“I spent an hour listening to a (highly condescending) Doctor refuse to test me because I ‘did not fit testing criteria’ and tell me why it was impossible that I had contracted the virus due to its extreme rarity and that it was not in western Europe yet during that same period (which we now know is incorrect),” the 41-year-old country singer wrote of his first attempt to get checked in March after returning home from a world tour.
“Even though I was told by two nurses that I was the first person their hospital had walk in requesting to be tested .... All I know is I first felt symptoms a month ago yet Im still positive and contagious and now on quarantine in the dojo until April 19th and really wishing Id taken my wife’s advice and put a bathroom in the floor plans..live and learn.”
George Stephanopoulos
At the top of “Good Morning America’s” April 13 broadcast, the 59-year-old anchor announced that he has a “basically asymptomatic” case of COVID-19.
“I’ve never had a fever, never had chills, never had a headache, never had a cough, never had shortness of breath,” he said. “I’m feeling great.”
Stephanopoulos also offered an update on his wife, actress Ali Wentworth, who revealed her own COVID-19 diagnosis this month and is “doing much better,” according to her husband.
Danny Burstein
Broadway star Burstein detailed his debilitating experience with COVID-19 in an April 13 guest column for the Hollywood Reporter.
“It was when I was on my hands and knees in the shower that I knew it was time to go to the hospital,” the 55-year-old Tony nominee began his column. “I’d had a fever, migraines, body aches, my hands hurt so much. I lost my sense of taste and smell and had been monitoring the severity of my symptoms by the hour. My fever was always around 101.6, give or take.”
Among the other affects outlined in the “Cabaret” actor’s post were a tightening in the chest, shallow breathing, feeling light-headed, and coughing up “white, foamy phlegm” that was “streaked and tinged with blood.” He was hospitalized in a COVID-19 unit for about five days before returning home on March 27.
Jennifer Wayne
On April 15, the musician, actress and granddaughter of screen icon John Wayne wrote on Instagram that she “did contract [COVID-19]” despite only going to the grocery store during the coronavirus lockdown.
“I’ve been struggling with whether or not to share, because to be honest it’s kind of rocked me and I wasn’t sure that putting it on a public platform was right for me,” the 38-year-old said. “But as I’ve been telling people, I’ve had so many people reach out and say they have/had the virus and what did I do, what were my symptoms etc.”
Nick Cordero
The Broadway star, 41, who recently appeared in a Hollywood production of “Rock of Ages,” has “made it out of surgery alive” and “is headed to his room to rest and recover” after having his leg amputated while hospitalized with COVID-19.
“AMEN! He is hearing us!!! He is hearing the support, the love and your voices everyday,” Cordero’s wife, Amanda Kloots, wrote after the April 18 operation. “I just know it. Thank you God for watching over him and for the incredible doctors and nurses @cedarssinai hospital! … I may sleep tonight.”
“We got some difficult news yesterday,” Kloots wrote on Instagram. “We’ve had issues with his right leg, with clotting and getting blood down to his toes, and it isn’t happening. … So the right leg will be amputated today.”
‘Rock of Ages’ star Nick Cordero will have his right leg amputated after suffering complications linked to COVID-19.
Wreckless Eric
English singer-songwriter Wreckless Eric announced his diagnosis in an April 19 blog post detailing his COVID-19 experience, which has fluctuated between feeling “like I’ve been hit by a truck” and “alive, well, fully functioning.”
“I haven’t actually been very well in the past three or four weeks - chest and rib pains, cough, low level fever, [intermittent] headaches - I was pretty sure it must be the virus though I was told the only way I could get confirmation of this was by presenting myself at the emergency room, death’s door, sick to the point of dying, ready to be [hospitalized],” the “Whole Wide World” artist wrote.
The musician, 65, added: “If I’m honest about this I’m vaguely / acutely worried in the back of my mind that I might suddenly go downhill and die, but I find getting older is a business of constantly facing up to one’s own mortality.”
Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams
Hollywood couple Shalhoub, 66, and Adams, 71, both fell ill with a nasty case of COVID-19 in April, according to the former.
The “Monk” alum recently reprised his beloved TV character from the detective comedy for a May 11 edition of Peacock’s quarantine web series, “The At-Home Variety Show,” to celebrate front-line heroes and reveal his diagnosis.
“I hope you’re all being careful and following the protocol. We really are all Monk now,” he said. “Last month, my wife, Brooke, and I came down with the virus, and it was a pretty rough few weeks. But we realize that so many other people have and had it a lot worse.”
Damian Kulash
OK Go frontman Kulash revealed in an open letter on Facebook May 12 that he “caught the coronavirus early, when there were only six known cases in California.”
His wife also contracted the illness, was briefly hospitalized and “bedridden with breathing problems for a long stretch.”
“As she convalesced, I struggled to keep up with our two-year-old twins, and there were times when her breathing was so labored I worried she just wouldn’t wake up,” the 44-year-old musician wrote.
“We’re extremely lucky. She made a full recovery, and though the kids did have symptoms, they never got much worse than a nasty cold. My heart aches for those who haven’t had the same luck, who are suffering unimaginable loss and hardship, whether from the virus or the havoc it’s wrought on the world.”
Attached to Kulash’s post was a homemade music video for “All Together Now,” a new song the band wrote and recorded in quarantine. Listeners are encouraged to donate to Partners in Health‘s coronavirus relief efforts.
Zoey Deutch
In a May 19 piece for Vulture, “The Politician” and “Set It Up” star Deutch said she was ill from the cornavirus, beginning before the shutdown, and continued to test positive for a month.
“People keep asking me, ‘Where did you get it?’ and I wish I knew,” the 25-year-old said. “I feel like I could have spoken in a more eloquent way about my experience had I known. ... I’m okay now. I’m so grateful for my health and I also feel guilty, in a way, for making it out okay.”
Deutch’s symptoms included a sore throat and delirium, while friends of hers who also contracted the virus experienced milder symptoms, such as a loss of taste and smell. The Netflix actress also weighed in on the recent social media drama between her “two crushes,” cookbook author Alison Roman and celebrity chef Chrissy Teigen.
“I’m not kidding when I say I am distraught over it,” she said while discussing her quarantine activities, which have involved a lot of cooking. “I am torn apart. My No. 1 ingredient is shallots and, same as Chrissy, whenever I see my shallots, I cry.”
Times staff writers Wendy Lee, Sonaiya Kelley, Stacy Perman, Tracy Brown and Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this report.
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