Tom Hanks' blood to be used for coronavirus research: Call it 'the 'Hank-ccine'
The world breathed a sigh of relief when Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had recovered from coronavirus.
And now, fans everywhere will be pleased to know that the couple is trying to give back after their own scary health experience.
Appearing on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! recently, Hanks said he and Wilson learned they had coronavirus antibodies and were approached for studies. They also volunteered to donate their blood and plasma for COVID-19 research.
"We will be giving it now to the places that hope to work on what I would like to call the 'Hank-ccine,'" the actor joked on the radio show.
"There could be no better ending to this international catastrophe than if the cure turns out to be the blood of Tom Hanks," host Peter Sagal responded.
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The couple first tested positive for coronavirus in early March, after they were in Australia for pre-production on Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley biopic. Production on the project was halted following Hanks' diagnosis.
Following hospitalization and self-isolation in Australia, the two were able to return home to Los Angeles. Hanks has been sharing updates on his social media platforms throughout their journey, and he also told NPR how he's been doing lately.
"We are just fine, dandy. We had all of the flu-like symptoms. My wife, Rita, was a little worse off than me. She had a very high temperature. And we were isolated so that we would not give it to anyone else," he shared.
Previously, Hanks said Wilson lost her sense of taste and smell, and “was so nauseous, she had to crawl on the floor from the bed to the facilities.”
On NPR, Hanks also let us know that he's been playing solitaire and "Marie Kondo-izing" his life to occupy his time, like many of us at home.
Hanks and Wilson were the first major celebrities to announce their coronavirus diagnosis, and stars like Idris Elba, Kevin Durant, Daniel Dae Kim, and more later also revealed they tested positive. Luckily, many of them, like J.K. Rowling and Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju have since recovered.
For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit coronavirus.gov.
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