Idris Elba's doctor says he's 'immune' from coronavirus 'for a certain time' after diagnosis — is that true?

Taryn Ryder
Updated ·3 min read

Idris Elba has been keeping fans updated on his health after revealing on March 16 he tested positive for COVID-19. The Hobbs & Shaw star is in quarantine with his wife, Sabrina Dhowre, who also tested positive. Both have been asymptomatic.

"Sab and I still feel ok so far with no changes," he posted on social media Wednesday.

The 47-year-old actor noted something interesting his doctor shared.

"Dr told us that after quarantine we will be immune for a certain time since our antibodies fought this," Elba added, with a "thinking face" emoji.

Do people who recover from COVID-19 really become immune to the virus for a period of time? For more information on the topic, Yahoo Entertainment consulted with Yahoo News Medical Contributor Dr. Kavita Patel.

"Here is what we know — there is evidence from monkeys infected with this virus that they develop immunity," Dr. Patel explained Thursday, "And we believe that humans would also likely have immunity, it's just not clear for how long."

Dr. Patel, who is a senior scholar at the Brookings Institution, pointed to immunity in Ebola survivors.

"With Ebola, people who survived had immunity that lasted for years; but with COVID-19 it's not clear," she continued. "Our best estimate is that we would hopefully have even up to a year of immunity."

Dr. Patel added, "there are major drug companies using immune patients to understand if there are broader treatments that can be derived." She noted that immune patients are considered to be "people who have had the infection and cleared it."

Elba is one of the many stars to reveal he tested positive for COVID-19. During a live stream this week he asked people to stop "test shaming" those who have been able to get one. He also slammed the conspiracy theory that celebrities were being paid to say they have the coronavirus.

Kathy Griffin made headlines Wednesday after she tweeted photos from a hospital bed claiming she was unable to get tested despite having "unbearably painful symptoms." Prince Charles, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Andy Cohen are among the notable figures who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Watch: Idris Elba slams ‘stupid’ theory celebs are being paid to share positive diagnosis

For the latest news on the evolving coronavirus outbreak, follow along here. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.

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