Oscar-winner Tom Hanks said he and his wife were taking their new roles as quarantined coronavirus patients in their stride Friday, urging the public to heed the advice of experts.

Holed up in a Gold Coast hospital in Australia, Tom Hanks 63, said he and singer-songwriter partner Rita Wilson were taking the enforced isolation "one-day-at-a-time"
Holed up in a Gold Coast hospital in Australia, Tom Hanks 63, said he and singer-songwriter partner Rita Wilson were taking the enforced isolation "one-day-at-a-time" AFP / Anthony HARVEY

Holed up in a Gold Coast hospital in Australia, Hanks 63, said he and singer-songwriter partner Rita Wilson were taking the enforced isolation "one-day-at-a-time".

In a social media post to fans, Hanks said the couple "want to thank everyone here Down Under who are taking such good care of us. We have Covid-19 and are in isolation so we do not spread it to anyone else."

The Gold Coast University Hospital where US actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and are in isolation
The Gold Coast University Hospital where US actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and are in isolation AFP / Patrick HAMILTON

"There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness. We are taking it one-day-at-a-time."

The post was accompanied by a photo of the couple wearing casual clothes and baseball caps, looking relaxed.

"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?" he asked, as his home country of the United States is roiled by panic buying and divisions over President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis.

"Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball," he said, repeating a line from his sports classic "A League of Their Own."

Coronavirus Donald trump