‘It was a long four days’: Today Extra’s hosts David Campbell and Belinda Russell test negative to COVID-19 and come out of self-isolation… after interviewing Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson last week
Today Extra hosts David Campbell and Belinda Russell have tested negative to COVID-19 and have come out of self-isolation.
The presenters returned to air on Tuesday, after spending four days at home when it was revealed Tom Hank’s wife Rita Wilson had contracted coronavirus on Thursday.
David and Belinda went into self-isolation as a precaution after they interviewed Rita last week, who may have passed the virus to Today entertainment reporter Richard ‘Dickie’ Wilkins, who tested positive on Sunday night.
‘It was a long four days’: Today Extra’s hosts David Campbell (left) and Belinda Russell (right) have tested negative to COVID-19 and have come out of self-isolation… after interviewing Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson last week
‘A lot of it for us is a bit of tension relief. Because we had contact with Rita Wilson, who tested positive for coronavirus,’ David said on Today Extra on Tuesday.
‘It was a long four days at home while we waited for those results but we’re both not detected.’
Meanwhile, Belinda said: ‘We were pretty confident because we were told that we were a casual contact not a close contact because we didn’t have any more than 15 minutes with her – but you never know!’
Playing it safe: David and Belinda had been in self-isolation as a precaution since last week, when they interviewed Rita (centre), who may have passed the virus to Today entertainment reporter Richard ‘Dickie’ Wilkins, who tested positive on Sunday night
Mixed feelings: Belinda said: ‘We were pretty confident because we were told that we were a casual contact not a close contact because we didn’t have any more than 15 minutes with her – but you never know!’
Richard Wilkins was surprised to be diagnosed with coronavirus on Sunday as he showed no symptoms of the disease.
David said he was happy to get his test results back before Richard because it would have made him worry more.
Both presenters spent time at home with took their children out of school, fearing if that if they had coronavirus, their kids would spread it.
Cause of concern: David said he was happy to get his test results back before Richard Wilkins because it would have made him worry more. Pictured: Rita Wilson and Richard Wilkins
‘Yesterday we decided to keep the kids home from school. That was a decision we made because there is some sick kids at school,’ David said.
‘So I set up a school at home. The twins came down, we did lots of writing, they drew. Leo did all of his music and did his maths. We did exercises because their karate dojo sent a link to exercises they could do.’
Meanwhile, Belinda educated her two youngest daughters Coco, 8, and Tallulah, 10, with a science experiment to show why washing hands is important.
She made cracked pepper and water mixture that represented a virus and got them to dip their fingers in soap.
The soap immediately repelled the pepper when it entered the bowl, visually showing the kids that soap keeps the virus away.
Having fun? David has been updating his Instagram during the self-isolation process, sharing pictures of his three children – Leo, Billy and Betty – who were taken out of school