Actor Tom Hanks is encouraging his fellow survivors of coronavirus (COVID-19) to donate plasma after doing so himself in an effort to help develop a vaccine.On Twitter, Hanks uploaded photos of both his blood being drawn and his plasma in a bag, while also discussing how easy it is. "Here’s last week's bag of plasma," he wrote. "Such a bag! After the paperwork, it’s as easy as taking a nap. Thanks [Dr. Anne Rimoin, PhD, MPH] and UCLA. Hanx."
The plasma of anyone who has recuperated from COVID-19 possesses antibodies that can fight the disease, but COVID-19 convalescent plasma -- which has been ruled as an investigational product -- hasn't been approved by the FDA.
Both Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were recently diagnosed with COVID-19 in Australia while Hanks was there working on Baz Luhrmann's upcoming Elvis Presley biopic Elvis. They've both since recovered, though, with Hanks having decided to donate some of his own blood with the intention of helping to create the aforementioned vaccine.
2020 will see Hanks star in both director Miguel Sapochnik's BIOS and filmmaker Paul Greengrass' News of the World, with release dates of Oct. 2 for the former and Dec. 25 for the latter. Elvis, meanwhile, is currently slated to hit theaters Nov. 5, 2021.