Former Hawaii Five-0 star Daniel Dae Kim revealed Thursday that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
“Hi everyone- yesterday I was diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus,” Kim shared in an Instagram post.
“Looks like I’ll be ok, but I wanted to share my journey with you in the hopes that you find it informative or helpful. Hope you all stay safe, calm, and above all, healthy.”
The actor then shared a video, filmed from his home in Hawaii, where has been self-quarantined for over a week.
“I hope you’ll excuse my appearance,” he begins. “I think, like many of you, I decided to let things go a little natural as far as my head and facial hair go. Call it quarantine chic.”
“I wanted to let you know that yesterday I tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus,” he said.
He noted that he had been playing a doctor who “gets recruited to help patients during a flu pandemic.”
This role is on New Amsterdam. We previously reported the actor had joined the NBC medical drama for an upcoming installment.
“It’s important for you guys to know that I was asymptomatic during all of this time,” he said, although when the flight was landing he noticed “scratchiness” in his throat. “To be safe, when I got home I quarantined myself in a room in the house and tried to rest on my own,” he said.
The actor’s symptoms got worse, including a tightening sensation in his chest, body aches, and a fever.
As such, he went to a “drive-through testing facility that had just opened in Honolulu,” and he said the test was painful.
“They shove a huge swab into your nose and into your throat,” he said in the clip on Instagram.
The actor apologized to the cast and crew members on New Amsterdam that he may have unknowingly exposed to the virus, before complimenting the healthcare workers trying to prevent the spread of the virus.
Additionally, he opened up about the importance of health and safety precautions.
“For all those out there, especially teenagers and millennials who think this is not serious, please know that it is,” he continued in the video.
“And if you treat this without care, you are potentially endangering the lives of millions of people, including your loved ones.”
So for the sake of everyone else, please follow the guidelines: socially distance, self-isolate, stop touching your face, and of course, wash your hands.”
While Kim is not the first celebrity to come forward with the Covid-19 diagnosis, he debated whether coming forward was the right move following the backlash leveled at other celebrities.
“Let me just say that I never asked for or expected special treatment from anyone,” he said.
“And let me just add that I believe that healthcare for all is a right, not a privilege. And not just healthcare, but quality healthcare.”
“Everyone who meets the qualifications to be tested should be. Because the virus doesn’t care about race or gender, religion, sexual orientation, whether you’re rich or poor, or your immigration status. Only we seem to care about that.”
Kim is best known for his role on Hawaii Five-0, but he also appeared on Lost and The Good Doctor, among other series.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.