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Tom Hanks says he felt like ‘canary in the coal mine’ after contracting Covid-19

Tom Hanks has said he felt like a “canary in the coalmine” after he became one of the first high-profile figures to test positive for coronavirus.

The Hollywood actor was diagnosed with Covid-19 in March along with his wife Rita Wilson.

He told Australian publication Stellar that “no-one is safe” from the illness.

Rita Wilson comments
Hanks and Wilson both tested positive for the virus (Ian West/PA)

When asked about being one of the early celebrities to test positive for the virus, he said: “I was the canary in the coalmine for some of this, for sure.

“But now we are once again at the place where there is no guarantee of immunity, from the information I’ve read.

“We are not done with this. In fact we are right smack-dab in the middle.”

Hanks contracted the virus while he was in Australia.

“When we were told we were found positive, we thought, ‘What? What did we win?'” he said.

“Then you’re given the facts.”

Graham Norton Show – London
(David Parry/PA)

He added that “we’re all in this together”.

“Everybody is suffering to a much greater extent than I am.

“The reality is this is a great equaliser. No-one is safe.

“I wake up every day and consider myself extremely blessed I have a level of security and safety that not a lot of people can count on.”

Hanks and Wilson spent two weeks at Gold Coast University Hospital on the east coast of Australia after being diagnosed on March 11.

The pair subsequently recovered and were able to return to the US.