AceShowbiz - Kumail Nanjiani has pleaded with Americans to stay at home to avoid spreading the coronavirus as his wife, Emily V. Gordon is immunocompromised.

Shortly after the couple, who married in 2007, began dating, Gordon fell seriously ill and was placed in a medically induced coma before being diagnosed with adult onset Still's disease - an experience the couple immortalised in their hit movie "The Big Sick".

On his Twitter feed, the comedian expressed his fears over the pandemic coronavirus, Covid-19, and asked fans to respect advice to avoid large public groups, explaining that he is concerned due to his wife potentially being at risk due to her past struggle with the autoimmune disorder.

"People get upset and annoyed at me when I tweet about the coronavirus, when I urge people to stay in and avoid crowds," he tweeted on Sunday, March 15. "My favorite person in the world is immunocompromised. Go ahead and unfollow me. I'll be tweeting about this until I'm down to zero followers."

Asking the public to help slow the spread of the virus, he also wrote: "Please don't go to restaurants and bars. Stay away from crowds. It's our responsibility to protect those in at risk groups. We are definitely going into lockdown but we can help #FlattenTheCurve."

The star also praised a Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's plan to shut all bars, dine-in restaurants and gyms as of Monday, thanking him for "doing the right thing".

After his tweets, the "Stuber" actor received support from a number of his fellow stars, including Elijah Wood, Brandon Routh, and "Baby Driver" director Edgar Wright.