(nbcnews) – Actor Idris Elba announced Monday that he has tested positive for coronavirus, but says he has not shown symptoms.
Elba, 47, told his social media followers that he was tested after he discovered he was in close contact with someone else who tested positive, but that he is not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus. The actor said he was alerted to the exposure on Friday.
“I quarantined myself and got tested immediately and got the results back today,” Elba said. “Look, this is serious, you know? Now is the time to really think about social distancing, washing your hands.”
Elba, star of shows “Luther” and “The Wire” as well as movies “Hobbs & Shaw” and “Pacific Rim,” reminded people that they could test positive for coronavirus even though they are not showing symptoms, and that they might be spreading the virus to others without suspecting it.
“Transparency is probably the best thing for this now,” Elba said. “If you’re feeling ill, if you feel like you should be tested or you’ve been exposed, do something about it.”
Elba is the latest high-profile celebrity to announce they’ve tested positive amid the pandemic, after Oscar-winner Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson were quarantined in Australia.
Hanks, 63, posted Wednesday on Instagram that while in Australia, he and Wilson came down with symptoms resembling a cold, as well as body aches and slight fevers.
“To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive,” Hanks wrote.
The couple has posted updates on social media to reassure fans that they have been doing well.