Tom Hanks Helping to Develop COVID-19 Treatment With Blood Donation, Jokes About Calling It ‘Hank-ccine’

More than a month after first being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease brought on by the infectious coronavirus while filming for the untitled Elvis Presley biopic in Australia, actor and Academy Award winner, Tom Hanks has maintained his humble nature and not lost his sense of humor. During an appearance on NPR’s podcast, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, Hanks shared how he and his wife, Rita Wilson — who was tested positive for coronavirus, will be donating their blood to help in the development of COVID-19 treatment. The 63-year-old also joked about a possible name for the vaccine, and we’re sure fans can get behind it.

“A lot of the question is what now, you know? What do we do now? Is there something we can do? And, in fact, we just found out that we do carry the antibodies,” Hanks said, per Entertainment Tonight. “We have not only been approached, we have said, ‘Do you want our blood? Can we give plasma?’ And in fact, we will be giving it now to the places that hope to work on, what I would like to call, the Hank-ccine.” He went on to joke how he was “not trying to hog it with a copyright,” and was “not going to the patent office.”

Hanks and his wife of more than 30 years, Wilson, were among the first celebrities to publicly share their coronavirus diagnoses this past March. Since their recovery at the end of last month, the two have been quarantining and isolating in Los Angeles. Sharing an update with the podcast, Hanks reiterated he and Wilson were “just fine” and “dandy.”

“We had all of the flu-like symptoms,” Hanks said. “My wife, Rita, was a little worse off than me. She had a very high temperature. And we were isolated so that we would not give it to anyone else.”

During quarantine and social distancing practices, Hanks admitted he has also been spending a lot of his time in creative, effective ways. “I’ve done the Marie Kondo-izing of much of my life, I must say,” he said. “I found this microphone. That’s one thing. I didn’t even realize I had this microphone. So I’m glad it was in the original box, so I pulled it out. But I got to say, if I win one hand of Solitaire, I immediately try to see if I can get two in a row, so I’m busy. I am very, very busy enough.”

Amid recovery, Hanks also shared how fun it was to make an appearance as the host for Saturday Night Live’s home edition episode on April 11, which he filmed in an abandoned office that was 10 minutes from his home. “What you’re seeing down there truly is my taste in decoration, not my wife’s taste,” he joked. “Yes, it is me, baby. That is my big, masculine man cave, and you should’ve been able to tell by the fabulous one-button-only cappuccino espresso maker that was back over my left-hand shoulder.” He went on to say it was his “crib” and was “proud of it.”

Earlier this week, Hanks made headlines in the good news realm when he reached out to an 8-year-old boy from Queensland, Australia, who was being bullied for having the name, Corona after he told the Toy Story star about his situation. Naturally, as Hanks’ good nature would have it, he sent the child an encouraging letter and a typewriter from the brand, Corona. “Even though I was no longer sick, getting your letter made me feel even better,” Hanks wrote in the letter. “You know, you are the only person I’ve ever known to have the name Corona — like the ring around the sun, a crown.”

He went on to share that the typewriter he had with him during quarantine would “suit” the child. “I had taken it to the Gold Coast, and now, it is back — with you. Ask a grown up how it works. And use it to write me back.” Hanks also added in his handwriting, “You got a friend in me.”