Tom Hanks' son confident dad will make full recovery

[March 13, 2020]  (Reuters) - The son of American movie star Tom Hanks said on Thursday he was confident that the actor and his wife Rita Wilson would make a full recovery from the coronavirus.

Colin Hanks also thanked fans for their support following the announcement on Wednesday that the actor, one of Hollywood's most beloved leading men, had contracted the disease while working on a film in Australia.

"My parents are receiving excellent care in Australia and are doing well (and in good spirits)," Colin Hanks posted on Instagram.

Colin Hanks, who said he was in Los Angeles, said he had been in constant contact with the couple.

"(I) am confident they will make a full recovery," he added.

Hanks, a double Oscar winner for "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump," is the first major U.S. celebrity to contract the virus that has killed more than 4,300 people worldwide and infected more than 130,000.

The actor said in a social media posting on Wednesday that he and Wilson, both 63, had tested positive in Australia after they felt tired and feverish.

The news was met with dismay on social media.

"If Ever There Was a Celebrity for This Moment, It's Tom Hanks," ran a headline in Time magazine on Thursday, saying that the actor's calm response to the diagnosis was reassuring, as well as a reminder that any one is susceptible to the disease.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

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