Actor and family had Covid-19

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says he and his family had all contracted Covid-19.

The former wrestler, who is now the world’s highest-paid actor, said he, his wife and two daughters caught the virus despite being “disciplined” about health protection.

He said the positive tests were “a kick in the gut”.

Now, he added: “We’re on the other end of it and no longer contagious. Thank God, we’re healthy.”

Johnson and his family live in the US, which has recorded more than 6.1 million coronavirus cases and over 185,700 deaths linked to the disease.

The actor, 48, said he and his wife Lauren, 35, and their daughters Jasmine and Tiana, aged four and two, contracted the virus about two-and-a-half weeks ago.

The American-Canadian actor said his daughters had exhibited mild symptoms, explaining they “had a sore throat for the first couple of days, but other than that they bounced back and it’s been life as normal”.

“But it was a little bit different for Lauren and I,” Johnson said. He said he and his wife “had a rough go” – without detailing his exact symptoms – but together they “got through it as a family”.

Johnson said they caught the virus from “very close family friends” who, in turn, had no idea how they had been infected.

“I can tell you that this has been one of the most challenging and difficult things we have ever had to endure as a family,” Johnson said in a video posted to his Instagram account.

“Testing positive for Covid-19 is much different than overcoming nasty injuries, or being evicted or even being broke, which I have been more than a few times.

“My number one priority is to always protect my family.

“We are counting our blessings right now because we’re well aware that it isn’t always the case that you get on the other end of Covid-19 stronger and healthier.”

He suggested several ways his fans could mitigate the risks of coronavirus, including leading a healthy lifestyle and wearing a face mask.

“It baffles me that some people out there, including some politicians, will take this idea of wearing masks and make it part of a political agenda,” Johnson said.

“It has nothing to do with politics. Wear your mask. It is a fact. And it is the right thing to do.”

President Donald Trump, and other conservative politicians in the US, have been criticised for downplaying the need to wear masks and politicising the idea.

Johnson followed his father Rocky to become a professional wrestler and a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star.

He became a huge success in the sport before turning to acting, starring in blockbuster movies such as The Scorpion King, Fast & Furious 6 and the Jumanji franchise.