Tom Hanks doesn't get 'how common sense has somehow been put into question' with coronavirus

Tom Hanks, one of the first public figures to reveal a positive coronavirus diagnosis earlier this year, wants you to do your part to prevent the virus's spread. 

Speaking Tuesday morning on the "Today" show in his first live TV interview since he and wife Rita Wilson, 63, contracted COVID-19 in March, Hanks, also 63, called on Americans to help each other with simple tasks to keep everyone safe. 

"What has lingered here is this societal question, really, of doing our part," Hanks said, alluding to his upcoming movie, "Greyhound," which takes place during World War II. "There was a sensibility (during the war) that permeated all of society which was 'do your part, we're all in this together.'"

Hanks likened the war to the country's present battle with coronavirus, both of which have a "tiny bit of stuff that you could do to aide the ongoing effort of something that had no signs of its conclusion." 

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"The idea of doing one's part should be so simple: Wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands," he added. "That alone means you are contributing to the betterment of your house, your work, your town, your society as a whole. It's such a small thing and it's a mystery to me how somehow that has wiped out what should be engrained in the behavior of us all." 

Hanks revealed on social media March 11 that he and Wilson had both tested positive for COVID-19 while in Australia, where Hanks was scheduled to shoot a new film about Elvis Presley that has since been postponed. The actor later donated his plasma to coronavirus research and continues to be outspoken about the importance of social distancing and wearing a mask when around others. 

"It think the huge majority of Americans get it," he told "Today" host Hoda Kotb. "There's no law against ignorance. It's not illegal to have opinions that are wrong. I think you flub a number of realities when two and two don't add up to four. Granted this is a mysterious thing where people are asymptomatic, they don't know they have it, they don't feel bad.

"But there's a darkness on the edge of town here folks," he continued. "Let's not confuse the fact: It's killing people. You can argue it's not killing that many... (But) it's killing people. You can say traffic accidents kill an awful lot of people, too. Traffic accidents happen because drivers aren't doing their part: They're not using their turn signals, they're driving too fast. I don't know how common sense has somehow been put into question in regards to this." 

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In an April interview with National Defense Radio Show, Hanks talked about he and his wife's experience with coronavirus. He said he had "some body aches and was very fatigued" during medical isolation in the air-pressurized room of an Australian hospital. Wilson had more serious symptoms and side effects from the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine administered for her high fever, led to powerful bouts of nausea.

"Rita went through a tougher time than I did," Hanks told the radio show. “She had a much higher fever and she had some other symptoms. She lost her sense of taste and smell. She got absolutely no joy from food for a better part of three weeks."

Now on the other side of the virus, America's dad shared a pep talk Tuesday with the country. "This too shall pass," he promised, as long as Americans can channel Mr. Rogers (whom Hanks played last year) and look out for their neighbors. 

Everybody... really only has a window of three days in our lives that we can affect our place and our station in this world," he said. "We have yesterday, which provided us with some understanding, we have today in which we wake up and are proactive and seek, somehow, the ability to do our part and that gives us reason to have faith in tomorrow... We are all in this together. There are things we can do in order to help our street, our neighborhood, our town, our city, our state and our nation." 

Contributing: Kelly Lawler and Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY.

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