Harrison Ford health diagnosis explained after actor was forced to pull out of presenting at Oscars
Here is an explanation for Harrison Ford's health diagnosis after he was forced to pull out of an appearance at the Academy Awards.
Indiana Jones legend Ford had been scheduled to prevent one of the awards during last night's (2 March) Oscars, but ended up having to pull out due to illness the day before.
A representative for the actor later confirmed to ABC that he was forced to cancel his appearance at the 97th Academy Awards ceremony after receiving a shingles diagnosis.
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His last public appearance was at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on 24 February where he appeared in a sketch alongside Shrinking co-star, Jessica Williams.
The actor's publicist added that Ford was 'doing ok' and resting. The 82-year-old's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill was later added to the presenting roster, which included winners from last year such as Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Shingles explained: What are the symptoms of the virus?
According to the NHS, shingles is a viral infection which causes a person to develop a painful rash. Rashes can appear anywhere on the body but are typically found on either the chest or stomach.
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the pathogen is responsible for chickenpox and remains dormant in a person's body after they recover from the condition. VZV can then reactivate in the body later in life, typically due to a weakened immune system.
According to guidelines from the UK Government, around one in 5 people who have had chickenpox will develop shingle, which means that tens of thousands of people catch the disease every year.
Symptoms of shingles include:
- a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin, which will be sensitive to touch
- headaches
- fatigue or feeling generally unwell
The World Health Organisation notes that you can develop shingles at any age, however, it is more common in people who are over 50.
Is shingles contagious?
The WHO states that shingles isn't contagious itself but the varicella-zoster virus can spread to a person who hasn't previously been exposed to the pathogen, which would cause them to develop chickenpox. It's particularly important that a person with shingles avoids contact with newborns, pregnant people, those who've never encountered the virus people with weakened immune systems.
Transmission occurs when a person comes into direct contact with fluid seeping from the shingles blisters. Sufferers are encouraged to wear loose fitting clothing in order to keep the rash covered.
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Nosferatu
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Brady Corbet - The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat - The Substance
James Mangold - A Complete Unknown
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Topics: Oscars, Academy Awards, Film, Health, Celebrity
Brenna Cooper