Tom Hanks and wife ‘fine’ after being diagnosed with coronavirus

Veteran US actor Tom Hanks is the latest big name to be diagnosed with coronavirus.

The Cast Away star announced on Wednesday that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, have tested positive.

According to The New York Times, the pair are in Australia, where Tom is set to film a movie about Elvis Presley.

In an Instagram post, Tom explained: “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.”

He said they 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?” he said.

Tom and Rita are in their sixties and Tom has type two diabetes, leading to fears for the couple's health.

But their son, Chet, has called for calm, telling fans: “Yea, it's true my parents got coronavirus. Crazy ... I just got off the phone with them. They are both fine. They're not even that sick. They're not worried about it. They're not trippin', but they're going through the necessary health precautions, obviously.

“I don't think it's anything to be too worried about. I appreciate everyone's concern and the well wishes. I think it's all going to be alright. I appreciate it. Everybody stay safe out there. Much love.” 

Meanwhile, social media went into chaos mode at the news, with fans flooding timelines with reactions.