As the worldwide pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread, and the United States continues to grapple with the fallout of its preparedness and quarantine measures, another celebrity has confirmed they’ve tested positive for the virus. Bravo’s Andy Cohen, host of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and notable for appearances as himself on shows like Riverdale and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, has announced he has contracted the virus. Cohen confirmed his diagnosis on Instagram, confirming he had considered doing his series from home but has since put that aside in order to focus on his health.
“After a few days of self-quarantine, and not feeling great, I have tested positive for Coronavirus,” Cohen said. “As much as I felt like I could push through whatever I was feeling to do #WWHL from home, we’re putting a pin in that for now so I can focus on getting better. I want to thank all the medical professionals who are working tirelessly for all of us, and urge everybody to stay home and take care of themselves.”
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Cohen marks the latest celebrity to test positive for the diagnosis, a tidal wave that has reflected the real world dangers of the spread of the virus. Academy Award winner Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were the first to confirm their diagnosis with Idris Elba, Daniel Dae Kim, Kristofer Hivju, and Frozen 2 Star Rachel Matthews all confirming they’ve tested positive for the virus in the past two weeks.
According to the World Health Organization, who officially dubbed the coronavirus outbreak a “pandemic” last week, there are over 200,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide with 16,556 new cases diagnosed in the last 24 hours and over 8700 deaths around the globe. In the United States there have been over 15,000 confirmed cases with 201 deaths as of this writing.
For those who are worried about the spread of the coronavirus, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers a litany of tips, including covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding large gatherings or close contact with people who are sick, and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
(Cover photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)