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In a ten-minute video posted to his Instagram account, Kim revealed that he had developed an itchy throat while flying back to Hawaii to be with his family since production on the show was halted due to the severity of the pandemic. Once back on the island, Daniel Dae Kim began to experience other symptoms, including chest tightness, fever, and body aches which prompted him to self-quarantine and reach out to his physician who advised him to get tested for COVID-19.
Kim was tested at a drive-thru testing center in Honolulu where it was determined that he contracted the virus. Since then, he's self-isolated from his family and has only left his place of refuge to go to the testing center. The Good Doctor producer hasn't been hospitalized and has been treating his own symptoms with medicine, rest, and liquids.
Daniel Dae Kim began his announcement revealing his current status stating, "Today, even though I'm not 100%, I'm pretty close." He then proceeded to stress the importance of following the CDC recommendations for coronavirus prevention, declaring:
"If you treat this without care you are potentially endangering the lives of millions of people, including your loved ones."
The NYU graduate then went to praise the grocery store employees, medical workers, and others who are risking their lives to provide the masses with the necessities to lead a normal life during the pandemic. Then the actor of Korean descent went on to discuss the "cowardly" and "inexcusable" xenophobia people of the Asian community have been experiencing since the global outbreak of the disease, stating:
"Yes, I'm Asian. And yes, I have coronavirus, but I did not get it in China. I got it in America -- in New York City. Despite what certain political leaders want to call it, I don't consider the place where it's from as important as the people who are sick and dying."
The brave thespian then closed out his revelation with a message of gratitude and a message to toilet paper hoarders, saying into the camera:
"I'm grateful to be alive and healthy. It gives me hope that through our collective efforts we can beat this thing and flatten the curve... But in the meantime please be safe, please be healthy and please be kind to one another. And please stop hoarding the toilet paper. Seriously. How dirty are you down there?"
Check out Daniel Dae Kim's coronavirus announcement in the video provided below and continue to do everything in your power to help in the prevention of this infectious disease.