'This is a crisis': Richard Wilkins speaks out after coronavirus diagnosis
Richard Wilkins has spoken out about his coronavirus diagnosis live from his Sydney home, where he has been self-isolating since Thursday,
The 65-year-old entertainment reporter said he is currently going through a ‘crisis in his life’ but isn’t experiencing any symptoms and is optimistic he’s healthy enough to fight anything that comes his way.
“I am showing completely zero symptoms and speaking to some of these incredibly professional doctors and health experts they are saying, so when did you get sick? Who did you meet before - and I said "I haven't been sick and I'm not sick",” he said on Today Extra.
Richard revealed he got tested last Thursday along with David Campbell and Belinda Russell, just after they heard the news that Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson were diagnosed with COVID-19.
“I called during the day, I think, on Saturday and I got through the line which is pretty busy and the guy took my name and he said, "Ah, unfortunately", I said "unfortunately what", and he said "unfortunately I don't have your results yet",” Richard relayed.
“I said don't say unfortunately as your first word. Don't do that. I told them my predicament, my situation, what I had done, who I had seen, where I had done, who I had seen, where I had been and they said, mate, you are extremely low risk, we would be very surprised. So when I got the call last night, I don't know about 7:00 or something, I was just gobsmacked. Down to Earth with a massive thud and the wind out of your sails.
"I feel completely normal... I'm showing zero symptoms." @RichardWilkins on testing positive for coronavirus. #9Today pic.twitter.com/r7vTX12Bs3
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 15, 2020
“Took me a couple of minutes to process what I had just been told and then the system kicks in and you find yourself talking to these people, they give you phone numbers, if you feel sick call this number, blah, blah, blah, and what to do.
“So I am pretty much, you know, home alone for, I guess, a few more - well, for the foreseeable future until, I think I will take another test in maybe two or three days and if that is negative then I take another one a little bit later and if that is negative then happy days.”
Richard went on to say it’s a ‘bizarre felling’ testing positive for the virus but he doesn’t mind “being stuck at home for a little while”.
Despite the fact that Richard hasn’t seen his children in a while, they have all had to get tested for the virus and he is unable to have contact with any family members until he’s given the all clear.
“Hopefully it will be out of all of our lives soon, but, yeah, you just want to surround yourself with your family and lock the front door and be together and, you know,” he said.
“I have got to lock the front door and keep everybody out, for their safety. So, it is a weird, horrible feeling.”
Richard assured fans that he is feeling fine and he’s a “strong, healthy bloke “.
“I think my immune system is obviously in pretty good shape because there is no room for this thing inside of me and I just want to get it out of here.”
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