Celebs, politicos falling prey to COVID-19 worldwide

London, March 13 (IANS) A string of high-profile people - from politicians to celebrities - across the globe have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.

The most recent addition to the list of infected people is Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In Iran and many countries in Europe, several high-profile politicians have come on record accepting they are infected with the coronavirus.

In Europe, senior politicians in UK, Spain, France and Italy are among those infected. French Culture Minister Franck Riester tested positive on March 9, Nadine Dorries, UK Health Minister, also tested positive with the virus recently, before falling ill, she had an interaction with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other politicians.

In Spain, Javier Ortega Smith, a secretary general of the far-right Vox party has also tested positive for coronavirus. Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have also been tested positive for the virus.

Chelsea footballer Callum Hudson-Odoi became the first Premier League player to test positive while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has gone into isolation after testing positive. All Premier League games and other football matches in the UK have been postponed until at least April 3.

Iraj Harirchi, the head of the Iranian counter-coronavirus task force, was diagnosed on February 25. Twenty Iranian lawmakers have since been infected and isolated, and at least two have died. Esmail Najjar, head of Iran's crisis management organization has also been placed in isolation after contracting COVID-19.

In Italy, where the highest number of deaths have been reported outside China, the leader of the Italian Democratic Party Nicola Zingaretti in a Facebook video announced that he too fell prey to the virus.

Politicians and celebrities have emerged as a class which probably interact with many people in comparison with an average person. According to international reports, medical experts suggest that the list of people infected with the virus is heavy on politicians as they engage with many people either shaking hands or always meeting others.

Mark Meadows, Republican US Congressman from North Carolina who was supposed to take over as US chief of staff, joined Republican representatives Doug Collins of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida, who had entered self-imposed quarantine. Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Paul Gosar, both of Texas, had also announced self-imposed isolation. Poland's Chief of General Staff General Jaroslaw Mika tested positive for coronavirus, after returning from an army gathering in Germany.

Iran's Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri has also been tested positive. Besides Jahangiri, Minister of Cultural Heritage Ali Asghar Mounesan and President of National Olympic Committee Reza Salehi Amiri, have also tested positive.

Medical experts also reckon that an average person will call a hotline only after they begin showing symptoms, but a politician will get tested right away. Moreover, a person not having a travel history, especially in the infected countries, may not be tested at all.