Dwayne Johnson posted on Instagram earlier this evening, announcing that he, his wife, and his two daughters have all tested positive for COVID-19. In an 11-minute emotional message, Johnson was quick to reassure fans that his family is now through their infection, and no longer contagious—although he did describe his and his wife’s time with the disease as a “rough go.” (As has often been reported to be the case with kids, Johnson’s 2 and 4-year-old daughters apparently had an easier time of it.) Johnson says he and his family have been self-isolating for the last several weeks, and notes that they apparently got the infection from close family friends. The actor urged fans to maintain discipline when it comes to interacting with pretty much anybody who might have been exposed to the disease; he also begged people everywhere to wear their masks, and to not treat wearing them as a political issue, but as one of public safety.
In other words, a sober, thoughtful message (even if Johnson’s thoughts on “boosting your immune system” through antioxidants haven’t necessarily been vetted by medical science in regards to COVID). Certainly, the actor’s call for belief in science and doctors is a nice change of pace from the words and actions of some other public figures at the moment, and might even conceivably convince a few people to actually put on their masks, because god knows that if the coronavirus can get The Rock, it can probably affect pretty much anybody at this point. Johnson is one of several high-profile celebrities to announce that they’ve been infected with the disease; others include Bryan Cranston, Rita Wilson, and Tom Hanks.