Daniel Dae Kim Tests Positive for Coronavirus

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Mar 19, 2020

Like Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Idris Elba before him, Daniel Dae Kim has tested positive for coronavirus.

Kim shared his experience fighting the virus in a 10-minute video on Instagram, recalling how he first felt mild symptoms last week while on a plane from New York to Hawaii last week.

Upon arriving, the actor began self-isolating, but was recommended by doctors to visit a drive-thru testing site in Honolulu after symptoms included a fever, body aches and tightness in his chest.

In the wake of his diagnosis, Kim told fans that he is recovering "with the help of medication, bed rest, liquids, and my loving family."

"If you treat this without care, you are potentially endangering the lives of millions of people, including your loved ones," he said to viewers. "So for the sake of everyone else, please follow the guidelines: socially distance, self-isolate, stop touching your face, and of course, wash your hands."

Kim also took time to address the surge of racism and prejudice against Asian people exhibited during the ongoing spread of the virus.

"Yes, I'm Asian. Yes, I have coronavirus. But I did not get it from China. I got it in America — in New York City. And despite what certain political leaders want to call it, I don't consider the place where it's from as important as the people who are sick and dying," Kim expressed. "The point is, the name-calling gets us nowhere. When people are ill, what matters most is how best to take care of ourselves and one another."

While some celebrities are doing their darnedest to "Imagine" the virus away, you can watch Kim recount his very real experience below.

Read about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Canadian artists and follow Exclaim!'s list of Canadian music and film events affected by coronavirus.
 

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