Idris Elba Releases Song, Music Video About His COVID-19 Diagnosis

The actor is passing his time in coronavirus self-quarantine by making a music video.

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Image via Getty/Mike Marsland

Idris Elba

Like Tom Hanks before him, Idris Elba is giving social media updates to fans since he was diagnosed with coronavirus because, well, what the hell else are they going to do? They're in quarantine. 

In an apparent effort to cope with the isolation, Elba released a song/music video called "The Long Road 2." The lyrical content is about, duh, his diagnosis and the fact that his illness is very real compared to his acting day job. 

On Twitter, he posted the video with a caption saying that making the video was "passing the time." He also thanked fans for support.

Passing the time. Thank you for all your support and encouragement right now. Means a lot. Creating is my therapy... I think I’m driving Sab crazy though 😅😅... Hope you guys are good. pic.twitter.com/4TcipwqZ1s

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 20, 2020

On Instagram, which houses the longer/complete version, he posted a caption that said, “Creating is living right now. Music therapy.”

As it begins, he talks about his self-quarantine.

“I guess it’s time to do a direct talk / Feels appropriate right now I guess,” Elba said, according to a transcription done by HuffPost. “Yeah sitting in the spare room quarantined, you know what I mean / Just letting out some thoughts.”

The song goes on to talk about how everyone in the world's dealing with it, and we now live in a world where a "handshake" can fuck up your life. He also shows a sense of humor around the 1:40 mark. 

On Monday, Elba revealed that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and said that he'd be updating fans on how he's doing. 

This morning I tested positive for Covid 19. I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing 👊🏾👊🏾 No panic. pic.twitter.com/Lg7HVMZglZ

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 16, 2020

A day later, during a livestream, Elba said Tom Hanks' public reveal inspired him to talk about his current health scare also. He said it was important to be transparent, saying that he's “worried people aren’t talking to each other about it.” On Friday, he also denied rumors that he was in intensive care by saying he's "fine," that news to the contrary is "fake," and that he still "hasn't shown symptoms," for which he's grateful.

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