International celebs who have battled and survived COVID-19
COVID-19 does not spare anyone, even people in position of power and influence.
Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in early March, the virus has infected millions, including government officials, world leaders (like UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and most recently US President Donald Trump), celebrities and sports personalities.
Over the past few months, more and more notable personalities have come forward to reveal that they have contracted the virus or are still recovering from it. Most of them took to social media and used their widely followed platform to inform the public about the realities of the virus and to call on people to continue to practice proper hygiene and adhere to safety health protocols.
Some of those who recovered, like actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Daniel Dae Kim, and Bryan Cranston also called for COVID-19 survivors to donate their plasma to help others who are still fighting against the virus and not to take COVID-19 lightly.
Here are some of the celebrities who have survived and recovered from COVID-19.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
Hanks and Wilson are some of the first celebrities known to have contracted COVID-19. In March, Hanks announced on social media that he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 while in Australia, where Hanks was filming an Elvis Presley biopic. After sheltering in place for two weeks and recovered from the virus, they came back to the US and later on announced that they volunteered to donate blood and plasma. Hanks is currently back in Australia to continue filming.
Idris Elba and wife Sabrina
The British actor/musician and his wife came out asymptomatic when they were tested positive for the virus. This, after Idris was exposed to someone who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. The couple has since recovered after self-isolating in New Mexico. In a BBC interview, Idris said that the are “humbled and thankful to be alive.”
Dwayne "The Rock” Johnson
The Rock and his immediate family caught the virus from “very close family friends” but are now “good” and “healthy.” On a video he posted on Instagram, he said having COVID-19 is one of the most challenging and difficult things that he and his family had to endure. He also appealed to the public to wear a mask as it is “the right thing” and “responsible thing” to do.
Robert Pattinson
Pattinson tested positive for the virus while filming The Batman in the UK. The production for the movie was halted as the cast and crew had to quarantine following Pattinson’s positive results. The actor has reportedly been cleared from the virus and the The Batman production has resumed.
Jim Parsons
In late September, The Big Bang Theory star revealed at The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that he and his husband Todd Spiewak contracted COVID-19 in March. After recovering from the virus, Parsons explored other “creative outlets” like writing and painting.
Kristofer Hivju
The Game of Thrones actor was tested positive for COVID-19 while in Norway with his family, who also had mild symptoms of the virus. They all fully recovered after being in quarantine for several weeks.
Kevin Durant
The two-time NBA championship winner is one of the first NBA players to test positive for COVID-19. He reportedly did not have symptoms but was eager to learn and get more information about the virus, which calmed him down as he went his way to full recovery.
Daniel Dae Kim
Before he was tested positive for COVID-19, he was in New York filming for the series New Amsterdam After surviving COVID-19, he donated plasma and called for those who got infected to donate theirs, too, to help others beat the virus.
Novak Djokovic
The world No. 1 tennis player was one of several players who tested positive during the recent Adria Tour. After his full recovery, he went back to training for the US Open, where he was disqualified for accidentally hitting a line judge on the throat with a tennis ball.
Lena Dunham
In March, Girls star, creator and writer fought COVID-19 for 21 days but continues to experience health issues she did not have before the getting the virus. She’s currently in self-quarantine.
Pink
The singer and her three-year-old son Jameson tested positive for COVID-19 in March. She revealed in an interview for The Ellen DeGeneres Show that having the virus was the “scariest thing I’ve ever, ever been through in my whole life.” She later announced plans to donate $1 million to emergency relief funds in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Andy Cohen
When the Watch What Happens Live host caught COVID-19, he self-isolated and treated himself alone. After recovering, he returned to work and reunited with his one-year-old son Ben.
Neil Patrick Harris
It was sometime in March when the How I Met Your Mother star, his husband David Burtka and their nine-year-old twins Harper and Gideon contracted COVID-19. The family has since recovered and Harris continues to urge the public to keep wearing masks.
Andrea Bocelli
The Italian opera singer tested positive for the virus in March and made a “swift and full recovery.” On Easter Sunday, he performed at the YouTube-record breaking “Music for Hope” concert at the Duomo Cathedral in Milan.
Sara Bareilles
The Waitress star disclosed in April that she had a mild case of COVID-19 and has fully recovered. She shared on Instagram that she is taking care of both her physical and mental health and is “grateful for every easy breath."
Alyssa Milano
The actress and activist tested positive for COVID-19 in April and she said she lost nine pounds in two weeks. Milano shared she will be donating plasma with hopes that she might save a life.
Anna Camp
The Pitch Perfect star shared it was that “one time” when she decided to forgo wearing a mask in public that she got COVID-19. The actress has since tested negative and urged her followers to wear a mask to help curb the spread of the virus.
Bryan Cranston
The Breaking Bad star tested positive for COVID-19 and endured a period of “extreme fatigue and other symptoms.” As he and his wife fully recovered, they donated plasma and the actor appealed to the public to wear a face mask.
Tiffany Haddish
During an interview in her YouToube channel, Haddish revealed she contracted COVID-19 in summer while filming a movie. She was asymptomatic before and after the tests. After getting the results, she quarantined with her pets and she has since recovered.
Usain Bolt
The “Fastest Man Alive” tested positive for COVID-19 in August reportedly after he celebrated his 34th birthday in his home in Jamaica where guests, including Bolt, partied without face masks. After the receiving the news, he went into self-quarantine and urged his fans to “stay safe.”
Antonio Banderas
The actor announced on Twitter in August that he celebrated his 60th birthday while in quarantine as he tested positive for COVID-19. After 21 days in quarantine, Banderas tweeted that he “overcame the COVID-19 infection” and he was “cured.”