Rita Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, were some of the first celebrities to reveal they had been diagnosed with COVID-19 early on in the pandemic. And Wilson said she first chalked up her symptoms to jet lag and performing at the Sydney Opera House.
Before she was diagnosed, Wilson had been careful to maintain social distancing, sanitize surfaces, and avoid handshakes even before those strategies became commonplace, she told Insider. So it makes sense that when she first felt symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, and nausea she assumed it was due to jet lag and performing. She also experienced a loss of taste and smell early on, she said.
But her symptoms got worse and, she said, she was “completely shocked” to learn she had COVID-19. Previously, Hanks told National Defense Radio that Wilson’s symptoms were much more severe than his, including a high fever and shivering. She also took the antiviral drug chloroquine, which caused “extreme side effects,” like muscle weakness, vertigo, and nausea, she said previously in an interview with CBS This Morning. These are known possible side effects of chloroquine, Medline Plus explains, but nausea and muscle aches can also be symptoms of the coronavirus.
The symptoms of the coronavirus can include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and a loss of taste or smell, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain. But some of those symptoms may feel similar to other conditions, including allergies and the flu. And, early on in the illness, when it’s likely to be less severe, you could confuse the symptoms with something like jet lag. Plus, some people with COVID-19 never develop noticeable symptoms, SELF explained previously.
“I never, ever want to get it again,” Wilson said. “Fortunately we were lucky, and we’re here to talk about it and hopefully get people to be serious about their health.” Now that we’re heading into fall, Wilson said she’s “not taking any chances” and doing everything she can to prevent both COVID-19 and the flu. As a 63-year-old breast cancer survivor, she knows she’s at a higher risk for severe complications from both illnesses.
Her experience with breast cancer taught her that, “you don’t think you’re ever going to be the person who gets it and then you are,” she told Insider. “You can get it, get COVID-19, and get the flu.” And she’s teamed up with The Race to 200 Million, a campaign to get 200 million Americans vaccinated against the flu this year in partnership with the American Nurses Association.
In addition to staying socially distanced, wearing a mask, and washing our hands frequently, the best way to stay healthy this fall and winter is to get a flu vaccine. Of course, getting the flu vaccine helps protect you against the flu. And on a larger scale, having more people vaccinated helps reduce the burden of the flu on our already stressed medical system.
But you might have to be a little more proactive this year than usual to get your flu shot, especially if you usually rely on your employer for the vaccine, SELF explained previously. Instead, you can get one at many drug stores, pharmacies, and urgent care centers as well as vaccine drives set up by local public health departments. The best time to get the vaccine is September through October, experts say, so now is the time to figure out when and where you’ll get yours.
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