Posted on Feb 23, 2021

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

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.

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

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"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."

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

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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."

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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

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.

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