Celebs Who Have Been Tested For Coronavirus
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading across the globe at a rapid rate, the masses are slowly descending into a state of panic. By now, we've all seen the videos of people fighting over toilet paper, and perhaps have even ourselves witnessed shelves upon shelves of barren grocery stores.
It's not just the world's regular Joes who've taken to absurd lengths to stay safe, celebs, as well, have done the same when it comes to self-quarantining. Unfortunately for the public, coronavirus symptoms may take up to 14 days to show, as reported by the CDC, and as far as the A-list is concerned, some celebs have already been exposed to the coronavirus, including Hollywood's resident nice guy, Tom Hanks, and his wife, Rita Wilson. Other stars who have tested positive include NBA player Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, James Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, Miami mayor Francis Suarez, and Gobert's Utah Jazz teammate, Donavan Mitchell, among others.
While COVID-19 clearly doesn't discriminate between the rich and the poor, it certainly helps to have some dough amid this global pandemic. According to a question posed by The Daily Beast, how exactly did the NBA push through and receive 58 coronavirus tests, almost immediately, while the entire country was in-demand for their own results? As The Atlantic perfectly puts it, "It pays to be rich." Let's look at some other celebs who have been tested for coronavirus.
Cristiano Ronaldo escaped Italy right before its lockdown
At the time of this writing, you do not want to be in Italy, which is currently an epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. With unbelievable photos and videos circulating online of once-regularly packed touristic hotspots, the country is in complete lockdown, after "cases have spiked" all across the boot, as reported by ABC News.
Clearly having affected a significant amount of the population, even local stars have fallen ill to the virus, such as Juventus soccer team player, Daniele Rugani, whose diagnosis has resulted in quarantine for the rest of the team's members. So, who's another megastar on the Juventus team? None other than former Real Madrid striker, Cristiano Ronaldo. Luckily for the star, he actually flew his hometown, Madeira, in Portugal, earlier in March 2020, to visit his mother. According to the Daily Mail, he has since then self-quarantined on the island, and as the president of the Portuguese islands has confirmed, he has tested negative for the virus.
Since Italy is in lockdown and the soccer player has no way of making it back, Ronaldo may be dedicating his time to helping those in need. According to Gulf News, "Reports have emerged that Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo will transform the hotels he owns in Portugal into hospitals to help in the fight against the coronavirus." While some hotels have come forward to deny these claims, we're still holding out hope that Ronaldo is helping out the best way he can.
Donald Trump tested negative for coronavirus, after much criticism
There's no denying that world leaders are at a high risk of infection when it comes to coronavirus, especially due to all the global conferences and subsequent hand-shaking that is done. United States President Donald Trump is no exception, after coming into contact with Fabio Wajngarten, the press secretary for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in March 2020. According to CNN, "Wajngarten began showing symptoms of coronavirus three days after meeting with Trump and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19." But per Sean Conley, the White House physician, "These interactions would be categorized as LOW risk for transmission per CDC guidelines, and as such, there is no indication for home quarantine at this time."
Nonetheless, other medical professionals seemed to disagree with Conley, which ultimately led to the testing of Trump. As Trump's press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, revealed in a statement (via CNN), "Last night after an in-depth discussion with the President regarding COVID-19 testing, he elected to proceed." The result? The POTUS has tested negative, but as BBC News notes, Trump did display reckless behavior, such as refusing to self-isolate after his meeting with Wajngarten.
While the country is definitely breathing a sigh of relief in regards to other people Trump could have infected, his family still isn't off the chain when it comes to pandemic-related news. Just recently, FLOTUS Melania Trump's extremely delayed coronavirus result is inciting backlash online — something that both she and the POTUS should be used to by now.
Rep. Matt Gaetz went from poking fun at coronavirus to self-quarantine
Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz wore an oversized gas mask during a House floor vote on an emergency funding package for the coronavirus response in order to mock the perceived the hysteria around COVID-19. Five days later, he was informed that while at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he came into contact with an attendee who had tested positive for the virus. Gaetz then immediately entered self-quarantine.
On March 10, 2020, the representative updated the public and his constituents about his potential diagnosis. "I've just been informed that my COVID-19 lab result was negative. In an abundance of caution, I will remain under self-quarantine at the advice of medical professionals through Thursday at 2 pm," Gaetz tweeted from his official account. "I continue to feel fine and show no symptoms."
According to the Pensacola News Journal, Gaetz got the call of his exposure while riding on Air Force One with President Donald Trump. Once back in Washington, D.C., Gaetz drove himself back to Florida and took the needed steps to avoid possibly infecting anyone else. "I couldn't stay in a hotel," he said on a call to the publication. "I slept in a Walmart parking lot somewhere off (Interstate) 85."
Jair Bolsonaro has been busy calling the coronavirus a 'fantasy'
Brazilian leader, Jair Bolsonaro, has, of course, along with President Donald Trump, come under recent public scrutiny after his press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, tested positive for the coronavirus days after meeting with the former reality TV alum. According to an article published by The Guardian in March 2020, the "far-right rabble-rouser ... recently dismissed coronavirus as a media 'fantasy.'" What's worse, he also mingled with supporters and "exchanged fist bumps" after it was confirmed Wajngarten had the virus, even grabbing cell phones from the public and taking selfies.
As the outlet continues to note, "Bolsonaro claimed he tested negative for coronavirus ... after initial reports that a preliminary test came back positive." He will continue to repeat the test yet again, after "at least five senior officials have been confirmed to have coronavirus." Yikes.
Of course, Bolsonaro's blasé approach has definitely angered the masses. "The country needs a responsible and serious government that thinks first about the population," tweeted Gleisi Hoffmann, president of Brazil's leftist Workers' party, adding, "But what we have in the presidency is a loud-mouthed coward who behaves like a boor" (via The Guardian). Political commentator, Vera Magalhães, meanwhile quipped, "President Bolsonaro is promoting corona day." At the time of this writing, "Brazilian authorities have confirmed at least 121 cases," so it wouldn't hurt if perhaps Bolsonaro started taking things a bit more seriously.
Celine Dion's tour will not go on amid the coronavirus pandemic
Celine Dion is no stranger to tragic struggles. The Canadian-born vocal powerhouse has been dealt some pretty crummy hards in life, from the loss of her husband and manager, Rene Angelil in 2016, and her brother, Daniel Dion — just two days after the passing of Angelil.
Fast-forward to 2020, where the superstar singer raised some eyebrows after postponing two of her shows in light of the coronavirus pandemic "due to a cold," as revealed by E! News. While the news was naturally met to some concern, Dion released the following statement: "A day after completing a six-show run in the New York area, Celine began feeling the symptoms of a common cold. The symptoms persisted ... and her doctors instructed her to rest for the next 5-7 days. After testing her, the doctors concluded that her virus was not related to COVID-19."
Posting to her Facebook page, Dion noted that she's "so sorry for disappointing [her] fans." Taking one look at the responses, it looks like her supporters are merely wishing her a speedy recovery. At the same time, we commend Dion for postponing her tour, as social distancing is definitely becoming a huge priority during these troubling times.
Pope Francis had his own coronavirus scare
Pope Francis has miraculously remained safe amidst the coronavirus mayhem that has plagued Italy and surrounding European nations. That being said, his negative diagnosis hasn't come without its own scare, as well.
According to the Vatican News, on Feb. 26, 2020, the pope spoke to a crowd during the General Audience in St. Peter's Square, declaring, "I wish, again, to express my closeness to those who are ill with coronavirus," adding, "and to health-care workers who are caring for them." As the New York Post reported an alarming one day later, the head of the Catholic church had fallen sick, and was spotted "coughing and blowing his nose." Uh-oh.
Thankfully for Pope Francis, after taking a COVID-19 test, it has come back negative. Per Italian newspaper Il Messaggero (via the Daily Mail), to be on the safe side, the pope canceled "a series of engagements" prior to his results, also addressing that "he would not be participating in a yearly spiritual retreat for Lent," instead following it from his home in Vatican City. At the time of this writing, considering the current situation in Italy, it's all probably for the best.
The Raptors are far from extinct amid the coronavirus pandemic
Rudy Gobert, NBA player for the Utah Jazz, had a bewildering facepalm moment when, in March 2020, at the end of a press conference, he got up and touched every microphone and voice recorder in front of him — poking fun at the coronavirus pandemic. What's worse is that a few days later, the French basketball star tested positive for the virus. D'oh! "That video of Gobert — who's earning $23 million this season — purposefully coughing on the microphones of young journalists and beat reporters is so infuriating," rage-tweeted journalist John Solano. To be fair, it wasn't Gobert's finest moment.
The chain of events caused the NBA to suspend its 2020 season, but has led to alarm amongst players on other teams, too. According to the ESPN, the Toronto Raptors all underwent coronavirus testing after they played their final game against the Utah Jazz prior to the season getting canceled. Luckily for the Canadian team, their test results all turned out negative.
In a time where the COVID-19 is running rampant across the globe, the Raptors have decided to still play things safe. "Those who have been told to self-isolate will continue to do so," the team said in a statement (via Richmond News). "We will all continue to practice social distancing, diligent handwashing, and we will carefully monitor our health. We remain in close contact with public health authorities and infectious disease experts."
Heidi Klum is still in the dark about her coronavirus results
Heidi Klum is, at the time of this writing, in the midst of her own coronavirus scare — and one that definitely highlights the current lack of testing available to the public amidst the pandemic. According to NZ City, the judge on America's Got Talent has been missing from the show as of late, causing her to take to her Instagram story and explain the culprit. "It started all with a chill, feeling feverish, cough, runny nose ... that's why I've stayed home to not infect any other people," she explained (via NZ City), then heartbreakingly added, "I would love to do the coronatest but there just isn't one here. I've tried with two different doctors and I just can't get one."
The model did eventually get tested — yet the results are still pending. Thankfully, Klum's husband, Tokio Police guitarist, Tom Kaulitz, has tested negative, causing the two to begin practicing social distancing from one another.
In the interim, Klum has taken it upon herself to share tips on what to do during this time to her Instagram followers, and uploaded a video of herself and Kaulitz kissing through a window. "We are staying apart until we get the results of our Coronavirus tests ... As much as I want to embrace him and kiss him, it is more important to do the right thing and not spread further." We're wishing Heidi a speedy recovery, coronavirus, or not.