Bryan Cranston Reveals He Still Has These Symptoms Of COVID-19
Our hearts all collectively broke upon hearing the news that Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston and his wife had contracted COVID-19. "I was pretty strict in adhering to the protocols and still ... I contracted the virus," confessed the actor in a video back in July (via Page Six). "Yep. it sounds daunting now that over 150,000 Americans are dead because of it. I was one of the lucky ones. Mild symptoms." As of today, however, the projected U.S. death toll is closer to 280,000, according to the CDC.
Cranston told Ellen on Thursday that he and his wife, Robin Dearden, were sick way back in March and were out of commission for about 10 days. "We had a few days of achiness, but not enough to keep you in bed," Cranston explained. "I had a temperature of 99 for about three hours, and then just exhaustion for a week after that." He added that they have both made full recoveries at this point, and believe now more than ever of the importance of wearing a mask. "I count my blessings and urge you to keep wearing the damn mask," Cranston begged (via Page Six).
Bryan Cranston says his senses of taste and smell are still affected
But a lingering passion to convince us all to wear masks isn't the only thing that COVID-19 left the star with; indeed, Cranston says that he still hasn't recovered his full sense of taste or smell. Loss of these senses are some of the most common symptoms of the coronavirus, according to Healthline. The outlet reports that a loss of both smell and taste can happen suddenly in COVID-19 patients. In fact, a recent review evaluated eight studies with a total of 11,054 COVID-19 patients and found that a loss of smell and taste often happened before other symptoms are experienced.
"The only thing that lingered, and still is to this day, is I lost a percentage of my ability to taste and smell," Cranston explained. "I think about 75 percent has come back, but if someone was brewing coffee, and I walk into a kitchen, I cannot ... smell it." He adds, "Keep washing your hands, and stay socially distant. We can prevail — but only if we follow the rules together."