Idris Elba Colleagues and Fans Offer Support Following Coronavirus Diagnosis

Fans and colleagues of Idris Elba are sending well wishes to the Avengers: Infinity War and The Suicide Squad star after he announced Monday he tested positive for COVID-19 amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This morning I tested positive for Covid 19,” Elba wrote on a tweet that has since been favorited more than 130,000 times. “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.”

Elba’s video announcement has been viewed nearly three million times since it was uploaded Monday morning.

“This morning I got some test results back for coronavirus, and it came back positive. Yeah. And it sucks,” Elba says in the video shared to his nearly three million followers. “Listen: I’m doing okay, [wife] Sabrina [Dhowre] 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 also tested positive. I found out last Friday that they were tested positive; I quarantined myself immediately and got tested, and got the results back today.”

The Hobbs & Shaw star then urged everyone to “really 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, okay? So now’s a real time to be really vigilant about washing your hands, and keeping your distance,” Elba says. “We’ve told our families, they’re very supportive. We’ve told our colleagues. And transparency is probably the best thing for this right now. If you’re feeling ill, if you feel like you should be tested or feel like you’ve been exposed, do something about it. Alright? It’s really important.

Elba continues, “We live in a divided world right now, we can all feel it, it’s been bullsh-t. But now’s the time for solidarity, now’s the time for thinking about each other.”

“There are so many people whose lives have been affected — from those who have lost people that they love, to people that don’t even have it, and have lost their livelihoods,” Elba adds. “This is real, alright?”

Signing off, Elba adds, “So far, we’re feeling okay. Alright man, stay positive — and don’t freak out.”