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    Gwyneth Paltrow Really, Really Wants You To Know She Was "One Of The First People" To Have COVID-19 And One Of The First To Wear A Face Mask

    "This is a familiar pattern in my life."

    larryfitzmaurice
    by larryfitzmaurice

    BuzzFeed Staff

    You know Gwyneth Paltrow.

    Gwyneth Paltrow at Paris Fashion Week
    Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

    Back in February 2020 — right before the COVID-19 pandemic really took hold in the US — the actor and Goop guru posted a selfie while wearing a mask.

    Paltrow was asked about the snap in a recent interview with the New York Times, and her response was, well, very Gwyneth Paltrow–esque.

    "This is a familiar pattern in my life," she said. "I do something early, everyone is like, 'What is she doing? She’s insane.' And then it’s adopted by the culture."

    Indeed, all of this does feel familiar — like, say, the time that Paltrow claimed that she "discovered" yoga.

    Anyway: Paltrow explained that she took the selfie while traveling to France "when it was all kicking off." "I wore it on the plane, but I didn’t wear it to the function that I was going to, and actually ended up getting COVID and coming home, and being one of the first people that I had heard of to have it."

    Look: It's easy to rip on Paltrow a little for being...extra. But the bottom line is, she was practicing COVID-19 safety precautions early — even though she was using a mask with a vent, which isn't recommended by CDC guidelines. (Also, she still got it anyway, which is a reminder of just how contagious this disease is.)

    An infographic displaying CDC guidelines for mask-wearing
    CDC / Via cdc.gov

    There are safety precautions you can take in your everyday life to prevent getting or giving COVID-19: wear a mask, practice social distancing, and get tested when necessary. Head to the CDC's website for information about how to get a COVID-19 test in your state.