Coronavirus: Daniel Dae Kim Says He’s ‘Lucky’ and ‘Practically Back to Normal’ After Positive Diagnosis

Actor Daniel Dae Kim shared a positive update with fans on Sunday, just a few days after revealing he was diagnosed with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. The former Hawaii Five-0 star revealed his diagnosis on Thursday, after returning home to Hawaii from working in New York. Kim, 51, said he now feels “practically back to normal” and he is “lucky” to be among the patients who have not required hospitalization.

“I am happy to report that my progress has continued and I feel practically back to normal,” Kim said in a six-minute Instagram video, reports PEOPLE. “I am lucky to be in the 80 percent of diagnosed cases that have not required hospitalization, that’s an important statistic. I’ve pretty much been staying in bed, taking my medication, but as of now I have no symptoms other than a little residual congestion which should clear of very soon.”

Kim said he will continue to live in total isolation, but will see his family on Monday with the approval from his doctor. Kim’s wife Mia and their two sons, Zander and Jackson are “still symptom-free and just bored like the rest of us,” Kim said. The actor said he would not take another test due to the shortage of tests and medical supplies in the U.S.

“This continues to be a serious problem in our country, not to mention the general shortage of medical supplies,” Kim said. “This mystifies me considering we had a several month head start before this outbreak. Anyway, if you or your organization can do anything to help our caregivers help us, please consider it.”

The former Lost star also listed the drugs he was prescribed during the past week, including Tamiflu and a glycopyrrolate inhaler. Kim said he also took hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug “that has been used with great success in Korea in their fight against the coronavirus.”

“I won’t say that it’s a cure and I won’t say definitively that you should go out and use this, but what I will say is that I believe it was crucial to my recovery,” Kim said. “I believe the entire mixture of drugs was crucial to my recovery.”

President Donald Trump has spoken favorably about hydroxychloroquine, but Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, has cautioned against putting too much hope behind the medication. He said it could not be used to treat COVID-19.

“Many of the things out there are what I have called ‘anecdotal reports,’” Fauci said at a press briefing, reports The Hill. “The information that you’re referring to specifically is anecdotal. It was not done in a controlled clinical trial, so you really can’t make any definitive statement about it.”

Back on Thursday, Kim said he was filming in New York for “several weeks” before he returned to Hawaii early last week. He said he began filling ill when he arrived home and his doctor recommended he get tested.

“Looks like I’ll be ok, but I wanted share my journey with you in the hopes that you find it informative or helpful,” Kim wrote on Instagram. “Hope you all stay safe, calm, and above all, healthy.”

The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. topped 32,000 on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University, behind only China and Italy. The death toll reached 400, with 114 deaths reported in New York.

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