As of this writing, there have been more than 118,000 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus - spanning 114 countries around the world. As a result of the disease, 4,291 people have lost their lives, the World Health Organization has confirmed.
Now, beloved Hollywood legend Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have both tested positive for the coronavirus, the BBC has reported.
Taking to Instagram, the 63-year-old Oscar-winning actor confirmed the news that he and Wilson, also 63, sought medical advice after experiencing symptoms of a cold while in Queensland, Australia.
Related - Tom Hanks becomes emotional talking about his family:The Forrest Gump star wrote to his seven million followers:
"Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.
"Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?
"We’ll keep the world posted and updated.
"Take care of yourselves! Hanx!"
The post was shared alongside a photo of appears to be a surgical glove in a medical waste bin.
Yesterday (Wednesday, March 11), the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic.
Writing on their official website, the WHO wrote:
"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.
"We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.
"Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death."