J.K. Rowling & Others Share COVID-19 Stories & Recoveries

J.K. Rowling today told fans via Twitter that she had been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus), but has now “fully recovered”.

She said she had suffered “all the symptoms” of COVID-19 for the last two weeks, taking advice from her husband (a doctor) on how to relieve respiratory symptoms:

Please watch this doc from Queens Hospital explain how to relieve respiratory symptoms. For last 2 weeks I've had all symptoms of C19 (tho haven't been tested) & did this on doc husband's advice. I'm fully recovered & technique helped a lot.https://t.co/xo8AansUvc via @YouTube

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 6, 2020

We’re happy to hear Jo is fully recovered, and offer her our express thanks for reaching out to comfort fans and others in need whilst suffering symptoms herself!

Jack Thorne (Cursed Child playwright) was also experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and after steroids appears to be on the mend – we’re so glad to hear this, and continue to wish for his full and rapid recovery:

Seem to have Covid, which is not reacting great with my asthma. Amazing treatment from my GP over the phone, taking the time to give me all sorts of tests THEN consulting with a colleague before prescribing. Feel like I’ve been run over by an elephant but in total awe of the NHS.

— Jack Thorne (@jackthorne) March 30, 2020

Evanna Lynch has also reached out via Twitter to share her symptoms – we’re hoping she’s on her way to full recovery, and send her all our well wishes:

Omg everyone relax, I know it’s probably a symptom of COVID-19, I’m fine and I’ve shut myself off from society! Was just observing it being an interesting/sort of cool symptom and I hadn’t noticed other people talking about it 🤷🏼‍♀️

— Evanna Lynch (@Evy_Lynch) March 29, 2020

Day 5 of having no smell or taste 😶 Does it ever…come back? I miss candles. And knowing whether the post man has taken to shouting up to me from the street because of social distancing or because of body odour 🤷🏼‍♀️

— Evanna Lynch (@Evy_Lynch) April 2, 2020

She’ll be appearing on #MischiefFromHome’s Twitch stream tomorrow (Tuesday April 7) at 11am ET / 10am CT / 4pm BST to make some jewellery, so don’t miss it, and send her your well wishes in the live chat!

We can’t wait to hang with our fave 😍 The multi-talented @Evy_Lynch is coming on #MischiefFromHome this week! pic.twitter.com/2qBQx8uPW9

— LeakyCon (@LeakyCon) April 5, 2020

Alison Sudol shared her experience with symptoms of COVID-19, saying, similarly to Evanna, that she couldn’t smell or taste anything. She has not been tested, but in an Instagram post shared that as she is at a “slightly higher risk” she has been self isolating since:

View this post on Instagram

hi again friends. So I wanted to share an update as I know I’ve been super quiet. Am coming out of a bit of a haze. I haven’t been tested for Coronavirus, tests are hard to come by, and I haven’t wanted to a) take tests away from people who need it more b) risk going into a hospital and potentially catching it if I have not indeed had it. I am in the slightly higher risk category, have to be quite careful. Anyways, whether I’ve had it for certain or not, I just wanted to share my experience with you, as this virus is a bugger & it seems like it may present in different ways than just the awful cough and fever that we have all been on alert to look out for. And if we don’t know we have it, we can spread it, which is the bigger problem. Who knows where I might have caught it from- I had been out and about, taking the overground, went to a play, this was before I knew how contagious it was, before it ripped through London like wildfire. I used hand sanitizer what I thought was religiously, washed my hands till they cracked, but still… We touch our faces without realizing it all the time. At first I came down with what I thought was a cold, then I lost my sense of taste and smell. Absolutely gone. Couldn’t smell garlic, smoke, super strong eucalyptus, absolutely nothing. No taste. It was like my head was in a fish tank. And I was exhausted. Went into isolation out of the city at my wonderful friends farm, which has been the greatest gift.A few days ago, a friend sent me an article, similar to the one I posted from The NY Times, saying the virus could preset as lack of taste/smell and nothing else ? OH! So maybe that was it? I have no idea why it didn’t hit harder but I am counting my lucky stars it wasn’t worse + that I isolated when I did. It’s hit some loved ones much harder, so scary. Going to continue in isolation, am lucky enough to be able to stay where I am, and am feeling much better thankfully, but I’m worried about everyone else.If you have lost your sense of smell or taste & not isolating, please go home & isolate- even if you feel fine! Let’s look out for each other. Sending big love and hope you’re keeping safe out there x

A post shared by alison sudol (@alisonsudol) on Mar 25, 2020 at 8:01am PDT

We hope she makes a full recovery as soon as possible. Fantastic Beasts 3 filming has been postponed as a result of lockdown procedures, so we’ll see her back on set when things start back up again, hopefully right as rain!

Other Wizarding World alumni have shared members of their community or family who have been affected by the virus, or sadly lost their lives as a result of having the virus, but we won’t share these in an effort to respect their privacy. However, we send all our thoughts and love to those battling the virus, and send lumos to those families, communities, fans, and all individuals going through either having the virus, or experiencing a period of grief, suffering or struggle as a result.

This is a time for fans and communities to come together to support one another, not drag each other down. In the wise words of Albus Dumbledore: “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided”.