Andrea Bocelli recently revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 in March.
The 61-year-old Italian singer announced the diagnosis in a Facebook post on Tuesday, telling his 4 million followers that he waited to share the news because he wanted to protect his family’s privacy and didn’t want to “unnecessarily alarm” his fans.
“The pandemic which has shaken the world has also affected – albeit mildly – me and certain members of my family,” Bocelli wrote. “Out of respect for those for whom contracting the virus has had more serious consequences, I decided it would be best not to share the news. … We were fortunate enough to have a swift and full recovery by the end of March.”
The renowned tenor received his diagnosis on March 10 after taking a swab test, according to People. His wife and two children also tested positive.
He first revealed his family had been sick with coronavirus during an interview published by the Wall Street Journal last week, according to Variety.
“I was able to be with my entire family and we all got infected,” he said. “We had a fever, then we were cold, and then we got a little bit of a cough.”
The singer, who previously established a GoFundMe campaign to help hospitals purchase supplies to protect medical staff from the virus, is now donating blood to contribute to COVID-19 research, according to his Facebook post.
“Given the chance to donate blood to help find a cure for Covid, my response was an immediate ‘yes,’” Bocelli wrote. “A modest — but fundamental — gesture, through which I am playing my small part.”
Bocelli’s native Italy has been especially afflicted by the novel coronavirus — 230,000 cases in the country have been confirmed, and nearly 33,000 deaths have been reported. But Italy is now starting to see a reduced number of COVID-19-related deaths, according to People.
Bocelli’s announcement came a day after Memorial Day, when he performed “Ave Maria” on “Today,” People reported.
On Easter Sunday — a month after testing positive for the novel coronavirus — the singer broke a YouTube record with a groundbreaking recital from the empty Duomo Cathedral in Milan. Called “Music for Hope,” the concert — which garnered more than 27 million views in less than 24 hours — included sacred pieces like “Ave Maria” and “Amazing Grace.”
“Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded earth’s pulsing heart,” Bocelli said in a statement announcing that recital.
A week after that Easter recital, the famed tenor joined Lady Gaga’s “One World: Together at Home” — a virtual music festival that raised nearly $128 million for COVID-19 relief. Accompanied by pianist Lang Lang, Bocelli sang “The Prayer” with Celine Dion — the duet that earned him a Grammy nomination in 2000.