Idris Elba Gives Update After Revealing COVID-19 Diagnosis
A day after revealing he tested positive for the coronavirus, Idris Elba gave Twitter followers an update on his health with a live Periscope video.
"It's been a mad 24 hours, as you can probably guess," he told fans. "Yesterday was good and bad, you know what I mean?"
Of course, the actor was disheartened by the diagnosis but is happy that it's "opened up a lot of conversation" about the virus.
"I think it made it a lot more real for some people," Elba explained. "Definitely made it a lot more real for me and my family... And the end of the day, my wife and I felt like it was the right thing to do, to share what we're going through, because we ain't the only ones."
He also thanked fans for the outpouring of well wishes and love, which have helped him stay "positive and optimistic" while self-quarantining. The Cats star confirmed his point of contact with the virus occurred on March 4, when he attended WE Day 2020 at the SSE Arena, Wembley, and posed for pictures alongside Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, who also tested positive for the virus.
Thankfully, Elba is "asymptomatic" and "feeling OK."
"Woke up this morning, didn't have any symptoms," he said. "My voice is a little bit tired, I just didn't sleep that well, but still don't have any symptoms. I'm checking my fever twice a day, and feel good, feel OK."
He decided to self-quarantine after Sophie tested positive, and his wife Sabrina joined him, assuming she'd also test positive. "As much as we talked about her not coming to where I am, she did, and wanted to," Elba said. "And I love her even more for it, and I would do the same for her... Love is all you can get."
Watch his full update below.
Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju was also diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday (March 16). Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and James Bond actress Olga Kurylenko have also contracted the virus.