After being contracted with the deadly COVID-19 and being quarantined, the beloved couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson recovered but are still trying to do their best for the good of the many. The two have decided to donate their blood in support of medical research in the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
The actor even joked about the issue by stating on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! that the research was for the creation of a 'Hank-ccine' notably made from his name being used as the vaccine's nickname.
One of the firsts
The couple was among the first of several celebrities to be infected with the disease while they were in Australia during one of Tom's shoots for the Elvis Presley biopic by Baz Luhrmann.
After their initial statement sharing their experience with the deadly virus, the two actors kept fans updated with their condition regularly in their isolation Down Under. They eventually made a full recovery and made their back home to Los Angeles.
The first thing the couple did after getting back into US soil wasn't relaxing in their homes, but rather, going into a medical study to help look for antibodies that are capable of fighting off the coronavirus in the creation of a vaccine.
The star of Saving Private Ryan has recently shared their approval of donating blood due to their antibodies being a possible weapon against the illness.
Tom is hopeful about the results of their tests, and if so, he jokingly stated to take responsibility and name it 'Hank-ccine.'
On a public show, Hanks said, 'We just found out that we do carry the antibodies.' and that they have been more than willing to give samples of their blood in aiding the research. They are now actively sharing their blood to other institutes that are also trying to research the virus and how better to fight it.
Severe case
The actor also revealed his wife, Rita Wilson, was suffering worse symptoms during their infection. He was more concerned for her than was with himself due to the severity of Rita's symptoms.
'She lost her sense of taste and smell. She got absolutely no joy from food for a better part of three weeks. She was so nauseous; she had to crawl on the floor from the bed to the facilities. It lasted a while', he said.
Now that the two are in a much better state of health, they are advocating for mail-in voting. The couple believes that Americans should be free to request for services that will benefit them, much more now amid the pandemic.
Hanks shared his advice regarding the ongoing quarantine and urged the public to wash their hands and maintain social distancing consistently. The actor said we all have something we can do to assist in this trying time, and that is to ensure that we are healthy and protect those that are close to us.
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