Colton Underwood has tested positive for the new coronavirus, and the 28-year-old former star of ABC's The Bachelor underscored the message that all Americans — even the young and healthy — should be doing their part and stay at home amid the pandemic.
"I'm 28, I consider myself pretty healthy. I workout regularly, I eat healthy. And I became symptomatic a few days ago," he shared in a post on his social media. "Got my test results back today and they are positive. And it's been kicking my ass, just to put it very bluntly."
Underwood described symptoms like not being able walk up a flight of stairs or to the bathroom without getting exhausted.
"The reason I'm sharing this is not to cause fear or panic but to hopefully encourage you guys to stay at home, do your part," he said. "Take care of yourselves, take care of one another."
The former football player who led the 2019 cycle of the ABC reality dating show said he was currently isolating at the family house of girlfriend Cassie Randolph in Huntington, California. Underwood and Randolph met on The Bachelor.
Still, he closed with a message to keep things positive: "We're in good spirits and I just want to encourage everybody to stay at home. Stay in your house and do your part."
Underwood is the latest Hollywood star to reveal a positive diagnosis. Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Andy Cohen, Daniel Dae Kim, Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju and Quantum of Solace star Olga Kurylenko are among the notable names to reveal they have tested positive for COVID-19.
On Thursday, California issued a stay-at-home order mandating the state's nearly 40 million residents only leave their homes for essential travel. On Friday, New York followed with a similar order. The aggressive measures came as the White House coronavirus task force has put increasing focus on getting its social distancing and stay-at-home messaging to reach the younger generations, as recent reports indicate that the virus can also pose a risk to younger adults.
The 2020 season of The Bachelor with Peter Weber wrapped earlier this month, with the next cycle in the franchise, The Bachelorette with Clare Crawley, set to begin filming late last week. Amid the global pandemic, however, The Bachelorette season is among the long list of TV series currently in production to be halted indefinitely.
