Coronavirus infected ordinary people, politicians and celebrities – namely, Tom Hanks. The talented star has revealed his “crippling” experience of COVID-19 and warned the world that the “darkness” is still out there.
Back in March, Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, had been infected with the deadly virus.
Recalling his experience, Tom confessed: “I had body aches – crippling, cracking body aches.”
The award-winning actor was troubled by his encounter with COVID-19, as Tom suffers from underlying health conditions.
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And underlying health conditions puts a person at an increased risk of severe complications from the disease.
The Oscar-winning film star revealed he has type 2 diabetes, and he also has a stent in his heart.
Speaking to The Guardian, Tom said: “When we were in the hospital, I said, ‘I’m 63, I have type 2 diabetes, I had a stent in my heart – am I a red flag case?’”
What’s a stent?
The NHS explained that “a stent is a short, wire-mesh tube that acts like a scaffold to keep your artery open”.
There are two main types of stent: bare metal (uncoated) stent and drug-eluting stent.
A metal (uncoated) stent may be mistaken as a foreign body by the immune system, causing swelling and excessive tissue growth around the stent.
The drug-eluting stent is coated in medication that reduces the risk of the artery becoming blocked again.
In March of this year, Tom and Rita were in Australia for an upcoming Elvis Presley biopic, whereby Tom was starring as Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker.
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In the Aussie hospital, Tom recalled: “They kept very strict attention on our fevers, because if they had spiked, we were going to be in trouble.”
The nurses and doctors kept a lookout on their “lungs, because if they had filled up or scarred, we were going to be in trouble”, added Tom.
Luckily, Tom and Rita – who is a cancer survivor – did make full recoveries.
What type of cancer did Rita have?
Rita – famous for starring in Sleepless in Seattle – was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.
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The actress underwent a double mastectomy, where both breasts were surgically removed.
Thankfully, Rita has been free from cancer for five years, but her confrontation with coronavirus did heighten her fears.
“I was scared,” she admitted to the Guardian. “I lost my sense of taste and smell, had stomach issues and shivering like you wouldn’t believe.”
Appearing on NBC’s The Today Show on Tuesday July 7, Tom questioned why some people weren’t taking the pandemic seriously.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen with COVID-19,” he began. “The idea of doing one’s part, though, should be so simple: Wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands.”
He added: “There is a darkness… Let’s not confuse the fact: It’s killing people.”
Yesterday, the UK saw 155 more people lose their lives in association with COVID-19.
The Government reports that 44,391 Britons have passed away, after testing positive for the virus – and that’s not including those who died before being tested.
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