AceShowbiz - Coronavirus survivors Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks are taking part in a medical study to help researchers develop a vaccine in the fight against COVID-19.

The married actors were hospitalised with the virus while in Australia in mid-March 2020, but they have since made a full recovery, and returned to their Los Angeles home at the end of last month.

Both Hanks and Wilson have been keeping fans updated on their progress via social media, but on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, the "Mamma Mia!" star gave one of her first interviews remotely to "CBS This Morning" co-anchor Gayle King, and revealed they have been doing their part to help experts come up with a cure, as doctors believe they are now immune to COVID-19.

"We've recently been part of a (research) study and we've donated our blood, and we're waiting to hear back if our antibodies will be helpful in developing a vaccine," Wilson explained, "but also if we are able to donate plasma that can be used as donation to other people who are suffering from the virus because we are immune."

The 63 year old also recalled how she felt when she initially began experiencing the flu-like symptoms.

Remembering how she was suddenly "very tired," she added, "I felt extremely achy, uncomfortable, didn't want to be touched, and then the fever started."

Wilson also had "chills like I never had before" as her temperature climbed to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celcius) while she lost her sense of taste and smell as the ailment really took hold.

By day nine of her fever, doctors decided to prescribe her with controversial drug chloroquine - which has been touted by some, including U.S. President Donald Trump, as a possible treatment - although Wilson isn't sure how effective it was in combatting the coronavirus, and admits it left her feeling even worse than before.

"I can only tell you that I don't know if the drug worked or if it was just time for the fever to break," she said. "The fever did break, but the chloroquine had such extreme side effects I was completely nauseous and I had vertigo and my muscles felt very weak."

"I think people have to be very considerate about that drug. We don't really know if it is helpful in this case."

While Wilson really struggled through her battle with COVID-19, husband Hanks escaped with "milder symptoms." "He did not have as high a fever," she shared. "He did not lose his sense of taste or smell, but it still took us the same time to get through it."

In addition to participating in the medical research study, Wilson has released a remix of Naughty By Nature's rap classic Hip Hop Hooray to raise money for the MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.