Elba says he tested positive for virus
English actor Idris Elba announced Monday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, sharing the news with fans in a video that he posted on Twitter.
“This morning I tested positive for Covid 19,” Elba wrote in a post that accompanied the video, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus.
“I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus.”
Elba, 47, is best known for his roles in the HBO series “The Wire” and as the title character in the BBC police drama series “Luther.”
He said he was tested “because I realized I was exposed to someone who had also tested positive.”
Elba said he learned about that person’s positive test result Friday.
“I quarantined myself and got a test immediately,” Elba said.
“This is serious,” he said in the video, urging people to be vigilant about hand-washing and social distancing.
The announcement came less than a week after actor Tom Hanks said he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for the coronavirus, putting a famous face and name to an outbreak that was spreading around the globe.
Elba said his wife, Sabrina Dhowre Elba, who appeared in the video with him, had not been tested.
But, he added, “she’s doing OK.”
“We’ve told our families; they’re very supportive,” he said. “We’ve told our colleagues. Transparency is probably the best thing for this right now. If you’re feeling ill or you feel like you should be tested or you’ve been exposed, then do something about it. It’s really important.”
It was not clear where Elba was tested.
In the video, Elba lamented that “we live in a divided world right now; we can all feel it.”
“But now’s the time for solidarity,” he said. “Now’s the time for thinking about each other. There’s so many people whose lives have been affected.”