As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the globe, countries around
the world are taking extreme precautionary measures to avoid further infections.
Bit by bit, the unthinkable is slowly happening: Tourist-heavy countries in Europe are heading
into quarantine, meaning millions of people won't be allowed to leave their homes except
for basic necessities.
On the States side of the pond, it looks like certain restrictions are coming into play,
too.
The NBA has been suspended until further notice, Coachella was postponed, and ordinary people
and celebs alike are going to extreme measures to isolate themselves from the rest of the
population.
One of Hollywood's greats who hasn't managed to avoid this virus?
Tom Hanks.
On March 11, Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, announced to the world that they tested positive
for COVID-19.
In an Instagram statement, the Forrest Gump actor revealed,
"Hello, folks.
@ritawilson and I are down here in Australia.
We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches.
Rita had some chills that came and went.
Slight fevers too."
If the above doesn't break your heart, Hanks later finishes his news off with,
"Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?"
"Sometimes we have to ask for help.
And that's okay."
Considering practically everyone loves Hanks, Twitter ran amok with fans of the actor expressing
concern.
Another thing that people noticed?
A creepy prediction by a beloved TV show.
Let's find out why fans think The Simpsons predicted Hanks getting the coronavirus.
After news broke that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson contracted the coronavirus, celebs everywhere
decided to show their support through social media.
While many stood by Hanks and Wilson, other fans were quick to point out an eerie prediction:
The Simpsons may have seen this coming.
"To prevent your poisons from spreading, your government has sealed you all within this
dome."
The Simpsons hit the big screen for the first time in 2007 with The Simpsons Movie with
many cameos from A-listers, including the Cast Away star.
The movie has gone viral yet again after Twitter users began posting Hanks' cameo in the movie.
"This is Tom Hanks saying if you see me in person, please, leave me be."
While the connection may seem like a bit of a stretch, some fans are convinced that it's
a prediction of the future.
One user wrote,
"The Simpsons also nailed the prediction of Tom Hanks being quarantined."
Another exclaimed,
"OMG YALL THE CORONAVIRUS WAS ON SIMPSONS AND THEY KNEW TOM HANKS WOULD GET IT."
While predicting Tom Hanks' quarantine and the coronavirus itself may seem shocking,
it's actually not the first time The Simpsons was right about a future occurrence.
The cartoon was credited with predicting Donald Trump's presidency back in 2000 in an episode
called "Bart to the Future."
"As you know, we've inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump."
Other spooky predictions?
Per The Sun, a 1997 episode portrayed Marge reading sick Bart a book called Curious George
and the Ebola Virus," and during a news segment in the show in 2013, a sight gag seemed to
predict a financial crisis in Greece, with a news chyron reading "Europe puts Greece
on eBay."
So, how is it that the writers of The Simpsons seem to have their own crystal ball?
Simpsons writer Al Jean suggested one reason in an interview with BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat,
claiming,
"If you make enough predictions then 10% will turn out to be right."
Writer Stephanie Gillis said making good guesses about the future is just a part of the gig,
saying,
"We are sort of futurologists in that we write 10 months ahead, so we're trying to guess
what is going to happen."
While it's easy to get carried away with predictions and conspiracies surrounding the coronavirus,
the focus should be on how those diagnosed are doing.
According to the World Health Organization,
"Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more
severe for others."
So, how are Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson recovering?
Hanks shared a photo of himself and Wilson smiling from their self-containment on March
12th with the caption,
"Hello folks.
@ritawilson and I want to thank everyone here Down Under who are taking such good care of
us...We are taking it one-day-at-a-time.
There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and
taking care of ourselves and each other, no?
Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball."
Hanks' son, Chet, also gave an update regarding his family's well-being.
Taking to Instagram, Tom's son shared the following about his parents:
"They both are fine, they're not even that sick.
They're not worried about it, they're not trippin', but they're going through the necessary
health precautions, obviously."
We're all wishing both Hanks and Wilson a speedy recovery.
If they're looking for some light entertainment while in quarantine, maybe now's a good time
to rewatch The Simpsons Movie.