Big mystery around celebrities being tested for coronavirus

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

March 24, 2020 at 23:18

Tom Hanks with his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for coronavirus on the Gold Coast.Source:Instagram

There are a host of A-list stars, including Tom Hanks and Idris Elba, who have had coronavirus scares, but there is a big unanswered question about their tests.

Stars, they can get the coronavirus, just like us. But they can also get tested.

Despite a widespread shortage that’s even affecting health care workers, the rich-and-famous have been able to get their claws on COVID-19 tests — some even when they weren’t experiencing any symptoms.

We reached out to some of the celebrities, sports stars and politicians who announced they’d been diagnosed with the illness or had tested negative to ask how they got tested.

Here’s what they said:

1. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

The actor and actress, both 63, were the first celebs to announce they’d tested positive for the disease on March 11. Two weeks after sheltering in place in Australia, the couple said they felt better on Sunday night. They didn’t respond to a request for comment.

2. Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre

The actor, 47, said he tested positive despite not showing any symptoms. His 31-year-old wife later announced she also had the bug, and no symptoms. The pair didn’t respond to a request for comment.

MORE: Follow all the latest coronavirus updates here

Idris Elba took to Instagram to detail his experience. Picture: Instagram — Idris Elba took to Instagram to detail his experience.
Picture: InstagramSource:Instagramn

3. Daniel Dae Kim

The Hawaii 5-0 and Lost actor, 51, revealed on Instagram Thursday that he tested positive. He said he felt back to normal on Sunday. His rep said: “Daniel is using his platforms only” to discuss his health updates.

4. Debi Mazar

The actress, 55, said she began experiencing symptoms about a month ago and provided an update on her condition over the weekend, after testing positive. She didn’t respond to a request for comment.

5. Kristofer Hivju

The 41-year-old Game of Thrones actor said he is under self-quarantine at home in Norway after testing positive. He didn’t respond to a request for comment.

6. Andy Cohen

The Watch What Happens Live host, 51, announced he has the bug in an Instagram video on Friday. His rep said Cohen is getting “rest until he is feeling better” and not able to comment on the test at this time.

7. Rachel Matthews

The 26-year-old Frozen II actress wrote on her Instagram story Monday that she’d tested positive and had been in quarantine for the last week. She later followed up to say the test was “INSANELY hard to come by” and that she had symptoms after being exposed to a confirmed case.

8. Colton Underwood

The 28-year-old former Bachelor tested positive for the illness on March 19, he announced. In an update on Monday, he said the virus was “mostly under control.” He didn’t respond to a request for comment.

9. Sean Payton

The 56-year-old Saints head coach has the first and only known case of coronavirus in the NFL. He didn’t respond to a request for comment.

10. Utah Jazz

The NBA team was tested by the Oklahoma City health department last week. Players Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert tested positive.

11. Kevin Durant

The 31-year-old baller is one of at least four Brooklyn Nets to test positive.

12. Drake

The 33-year-old rapper said he tested negative days after a night out with Durant. He didn’t respond to a request for comment.

13. Heidi Klum
The 51-year-old model said she and her musician husband Tom Kaulitz were “staying apart” while awaiting the results of their tests. His results came back negative, and hers are pending. She didn’t respond to a request for comment.

14. Kris Jenner

The 64-year-old “momager” reportedly got tested after attending the birthday party of someone who was positive. She reportedly tested negative, and didn’t respond to a request for comment about how she got the test.

Kris Jenner reportedly tested negative. Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Gabrielle's Angel FoundationSource:Getty Images

15. Charles Barkley

The 57-year-old NBA commentator said he had been tested last Thursday — and it came back negative. He didn’t respond to a request for comment.

16. Ali Fedotowsky

The 35-year-old ex-Bachelorette said she tested negative in an Instagram post on Sunday. She didn’t respond to a request for comment.

17. Rand Paul
The Republican senator from Kentucky, 57, announced his diagnosis on Sunday. He hadn’t been experiencing any symptoms and didn’t have any direct contact with an infected person. He didn’t respond to a request for comment.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reproduced here with permission