After being isolated from the outside world since early February, Germany's "Big Brother" contestants were finally told about the coronavirus pandemic.
The contestants had been living in isolation for the reality game show since Feb. 6, according to a statement from the German network Sat 1. The rules of the show require the contestants to halt contact with the outside world.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers of the show originally made a decision to keep contestants in the dark about the pandemic. However, the network issued a statement Monday announcing a doctor would be informing the contestants of the situation on a live show.
The show aired Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Germany. Dr. Andreas Kaniewski told the contestants about the pandemic, answered questions and played videos from contestants' family members.
According to the Associated Press, one contestant broke into tears when they talked about the numbers of deaths so far, particularly in older people.
The news has fans all around the world tuning in to Germany's reality show. According to one fan on Twitter, many contestants were in tears. One contestant's girlfriend was in quarantine, but healthy. The girlfriend's coworker at tested positive for COVID-19.
According to USA Today, the contestants of "Big Brother" Canada are also currently unaware of the pandemic and have also been in isolation since February. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced the country would be closing its border to foreign nationals, except for air crew, diplomats, immediate family of Canadian Citizens and U.S. citizens.
"Big Brother" is originally an American reality game show. According to the U.S. "Big Brother" "follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with dozens of high-definition cameras and microphones recording their every move, 24 hours a day. Each week, the Houseguests will vote someone out of the house." The last contestant standing wins a cash prize.
The no contact rule for "Big Brother" has been broken before for special circumstances. In 2001, the U.S. version of "Big Brother" lifted their rule about contact with the outside world to inform the contestants of the events of 9/11.
According to a tracker from John Hopkins University, Germany has reported more than 7,500 cases of the virus and 20 deaths.
The majority of people who have the new coronavirus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19, will get better without any long-term effects, according to an Oregon doctor.
About 80% of cases tend to be mild. In these cases, symptoms diminish over five to seven days, although people are still capable of transmitting the disease. But there are many people with a higher risk of having a more severe disease if they are diagnosed with coronavirus, including those with heart disease, diabetes, asthma and other vascular disease problems. Also, most children who get it have mild symptoms.