---
title: "Idris Elba Says He Tested Positive for the Coronavirus"
description: "Idris Elba, Golden Globe-winning actor, announced Monday afternoon on Twitter that he has tested positive for coronavirus."
date: "2020-03-16"
modified: "2020-03-16"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/idris-elba-coronavirus"
categories:
  - "Developments"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Medical"
  - "Pathogens"
  - "Viruses"
tags:
  - "coronavirus"
  - "covid19"
  - "entertainment"
  - "health"
---

# Idris Elba Says He Tested Positive for the Coronavirus

![Golden Globe-winning actor Idris Elba announced on Twitter this afternoon that he has tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/idris-elba-has-coronavirus.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image:  Harald Krichel\</em\>*

Golden Globe-winning actor Idris Elba announced on Twitter this afternoon that he has tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

https://twitter.com/idriselba/status/1239617034901524481

Elba — known for his roles in everything from "The Wire" to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — seems to be in good spirits. He's the highest-profile celebrity to come forward with a coronavirus diagnosis since Tom Hanks [announced that he'd caught the bug](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/tom-hanks-nba-coronavirus>) last week.

Elba said in the short clip that he got tested after he realized he had been in proximity with someone else who'd tested positive for the virus. Commentators have [pointed out](<https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-sophie-trudeau-idris-elba-lewis-hamilton-london-wembley-event-2020-3>) that Elba attended an event last week with Sophie Trudeau, the wife of the Canadian prime minister, who also tested positive for the virus.

To his credit, Elba seems to be using the diagnosis to spread sound advice to the public. In the clip, he advocated for staying out of public spaces, frequent hand-washing, and above all, for anyone who tests positive to quarantine themselves for a two-week period.

"Look, this is serious," Elba said. "This is the time to think about social distancing, washing your hands. Beyond that, there are people out there who aren't showing symptoms, and that could easily spread it."

Other celebrities rushed to offer solace and advice.

https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1239620549623468033

https://twitter.com/FINALLEVEL/status/1239622184798224387

Elba also closed the clip with some timeless advice.

"Stay positive," he said at the end of the video. "And don't freak out."

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)