Celebrity Health

Tekashi 6ix9nine is so desperate to escape the coronavirus he'd rather take his chances outside of prison than risk the disease killing him while he's locked up.

6ix9ine's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, wrote a letter to the judge Sunday night citing serious concerns for Tekashi's wellbeing behind bars. Lazzaro says Tekashi suffers from asthma -- making catching coronavirus that much more serious -- and he wants him out ASAP.

In the letter -- obtained by TMZ -- Lazzaro also reveals Tekashi was diagnosed with bronchitis and sinusitis late last year and was hospitalized for treatment.

According to Lazzaro, the rapper has recently had shortness of breath, but prison officials won't let him see a doctor.

Tekashi has only a few months left of his 24-month sentence ... but Lazzaro says Tekashi can't risk staying locked up any longer ... his life is on the line.

President Barack Obama sent a heartfelt, admiring letter to blues legend B.B. King just a month before he died, and the unique piece of history can be yours for ... for a pretty penny.

The personally signed piece of White House stationery -- equipped with the presidential seal on top -- was sent to an ailing King in April 2015 as he was dealing with multiple health issues caused by high blood pressure and diabetes.

Obama wrote he had heard of B.B.'s challenges and wanted to send him his "warmest wishes during this trying time."

44 went on to heap praise upon "The King of the Blues," saying, King had touched hearts, moved souls and lifted spirits for decades ... clearly, Barack was trying to do the same for B.B.

Obama ended the letter by saying he and Michelle were thinking of him and sending prayers.

This wasn't the first connection between the African-American icons ... the 2 shared the stage in 2010 at the National Christmas Tree Lighting.

The letter's up for grabs at Moments In Time via King's granddaughter Sylvia Williams, who says her mother gave it to her years ago. She says B.B. never imagined there would be a president of color in his lifetime ... let alone receive a personal letter from one.

King died in May 2015 -- just over a month after Obama sent this letter -- from vascular dementia caused by a series of small strokes as a consequence of his type 2 diabetes. Before he died, his daughters claimed he was a victim of elder abuse by his longtime manager -- and even alleged he may have died by poisoning -- but his autopsy showed no evidence of that.

Obama's get-well letter to King can be purchased for $17,500.

Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for coronavirus ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources tell us that the incarcerated former movie mogul has, indeed, been confirmed as one of two inmates at the Wende Correctional Facility in New York to have the viral infection. He was moved to the prison recently after being taken to Rikers Island following his rape and sexual assault conviction earlier this month.

It's unclear when exactly Weinstein might've contracted the virus, but we're told he's been in isolation since he was taken to Rikers a few weeks back. Our sources also say he hasn't had contact with his family or lawyers since the diagnosis.

The reality -- Weinstein is among the most at risk for serious symptoms.

Weinstein has looked incredibly frail of late, making appearances in court with the help of a walker and aides. He's also been hospitalized in New York a couple different times over the past month or so -- complaining of chest pains and receiving cardiac treatment.

Weinstein might just be the tip of the iceberg in NYC and NY State prisons -- at least 19 inmates in NYC prisons and 12 employees have coronavirus, the NYC Dept. of Corrections announced Saturday. It's unclear what might be happening at a state-wide level.

A rep for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision -- which currently has custody and supervises Weinstein -- tells TMZ ... "With each confirmed case, DOCCS worked with the Department of Health to identify any potentially exposed individuals in order to provide notifications and to stop the spread of the virus."

The Big Apple doesn't want its residents banging like rabbits during the coronavirus outbreak -- so it's got a set of strict (and graphically specific) guidelines on how to get it on during these contagious times.

The NYC Health Department posted recommendations over the weekend on how folks can have sex, while keeping the risk of catching COVID-19 low. For starters, they say sex with another person probably isn't a good idea right now ... so, they suggest masturbating.

If you are going to have sex with someone else, they have recommendations on who to bang first. The department says if you must, sleep with someone you live with, and try NOT to screw anyone outside the household if you can help. They also say limit the number of partners you're hooking up with ... which probably means no orgies either. Aw, man!

The most graphic suggestions come in the form of rim jobs (anus to mouth contact) and oral sex too. They say don't eat ass right now -- it probably ain't safe -- and if you're gonna get slurped up by a partner ... use a condom or a dental dam to reduce saliva swapping.

There is a quiet panic going around behind the scenes at the House of Representatives because some members tell TMZ they sounded a warning 3 weeks ago about the Capitol being unsafe but they weren't heeded ... and now some fear they have the coronavirus.

The members we spoke with -- who only wanted to talk on background -- tell us, about 3 weeks ago when the problems associated with coronavirus started blowing up they began talking about limiting or excluding visitors from the Capitol.

It was an especially busy time, because the House was putting together spending bills and people were flying in from all over the country to lobby members. There were also lots of visitors who came by and interacted with a number of members. We're told the hallways were packed.

One congressman told us, "No one took this seriously. Leaders from both sides initially said they didn't want to panic people. We're told the leaders ultimately consulted the Congressional doctor, but as one congressman said, "He was scared to make a decision because he was afraid he would trigger a national panic."

A congressman we spoke with says he believes he has the virus and is exhibiting mild symptoms and he has self-quarantined. He also says, "I think lots of us [representatives] are going to get it."

The House is currently not in session, but there's a big problem. The Senate is in session and is hopefully going to pass a relief bill soon. The House members have gone home, and the only way they can approve the bill without flying to D.C. is if the vote is unanimous.

If one member wants to vote no on the bill, the traditional solution would be for members to fly to D.C. to cast their votes. But, putting 435 people on airplanes -- especially when there's fear some of the members have or were exposed to the virus -- it's super risky. We're told there's talk of flying 40 at a time or figuring out some way of keeping people away from each other.

No decisions have been made on what to do if the vote is not unanimous.

As for the other chamber ... as we reported, Senator Rand Paul has tested positive and incredibly he was at the Senate gym today swimming. The fact the Senate gym is open when gyms across the country have closed because a gym is a breeding ground for the virus ....well, it's just baffling.

'Bachelor' star Colton Underwood looked worse for wear when he emerged for the first time since announcing he tested positive for coronavirus.

The former leading man of the reality show surfaced Saturday from a home he's been staying at in Huntington Beach, CA ... and as he made his way out to the balcony, certainly looking like someone who was down and out and going through it -- COVID-19, that is. He revealed last week he'd tested positive for the novel virus.

Hood on, sad face ... his look here says it all. He's not happy right now.

Luckily, his girlfriend, Cassie, is right there by his side -- and it appears Colton's neighbors are well aware of his condition and are wishing him well. Cassie was photographed coming to the front porch to receive a bouquet of flowers someone had left there ... presumably for CU.

Joshua Tree's campgrounds may be closed -- but people are still visiting in droves during the pandemic ... which is pissing off a lot of the locals, who are shooing the masses away.

The national park closed its gates Saturday to campers and vehicles wanting to pull into their lots for some desert fun -- but because the area is still open to hikers and bikers ... a bunch of Angelenos and others made a mass exodus to the Coachella Valley-area grounds this weekend.

That caused a bit of pandemonium for some of the locals who live right nearby, including 15-year resident Carrie Dagher ... who tells TMZ she's been in full chase-off mode with out-of-town dopes who keep wandering onto her property, apparently thinking it's God's land.

Not the case, according to Carrie ... who says she's literally confronted and driven about 100 different people who unknowingly crossed her front and back yards while exploring the area. Her property and others can stretch anywhere from 1 to 3 acres, so it's understandable a mistaken trespass might happen here and there. That's not the only problem though.

Carrie also tells us some would-be campers have even tried pitching a tent right in her front yard, which she quickly put a stop to as well. Lawn chairs and picnics have also been attempted on her property -- it seems people either don't know or don't care.

The bigger issue, though, is that because of the massive amount of cars coming to the area -- not to mention all the people they're transporting -- Carrie says these bored city-slickers are actually ruining the land with constant traversing, contaminating the rich soil specifically.

BTW, Joshua Tree is far from the only hiking hot spot people want to get to right now -- the Runyon Canyon trail in the heart of L.A. is also drawing hordes of bodies ... most of whom are NOT maintaining any sense of social distancing as they shuffle past each other.

Snitches (or good citizens, really) have been tagging Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to notify them of the bizarre scene, in hopes of getting these public places shut down to avoid further spreading of the coronavirus.

Rand Paul says he's tested positive for the coronavirus ... making him the first U.S. Senator to contract the disease.

The Kentucky legislator made the announcement Sunday on Twitter, writing ... "Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events." He continued, "He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person."

Sen. Paul followed up by saying he'll continue working while in isolation, adding his staff should be in the clear here too. His account explains in detail, writing ... "He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time. Ten days ago, our D.C. office began operating remotely, hence virtually no staff has had contact with Senator Rand Paul."

Again, Rand Paul appears to be the very first of his colleagues on the Hill to have contracted coronavirus. Funny enough, he's kinda been one of a few lawmakers fighting a new bill that would cover Americans' sick leave and essentially put money into their pockets.

He's argued that the response requires over a trillion dollars in federal spending, and insists the economy simply cannot sustain that -- even in these dire times.

Wonder how he's feeling about that now?

Costco is unsympathetic to all the folks who stocked up on toilet paper like they were never gonna get another sheet ... because the superstore has made it clear -- NO REFUNDS!!!

This sign was plastered on the wall of the Costco in Pentagon City outside Washington, D.C.  Now that people have settled in, it seems they're realizing they have waaaaaay too much toilet paper, hand sanitizer, wipes and Lysol, and apparently some are trying to return it for cash.

You gotta be a little sympathetic ... lots of people got laid off after they hoarded these items, so money is a huge issue.

Plácido Domingo has tested positive for coronavirus.

The Spanish-born singer just said, “I feel it is my moral duty to announce to you that I have tested positive for COVID19, the Corona virus. My Family and I are all in self isolation for as long as it is deemed medically necessary. Currently we are all in good health but I experienced fever and cough symptoms therefore deciding to get tested and the result came back positive.”

He went on, “I beg everyone to be extremely careful, follow the basic guidelines by washing your hands frequently, keeping at least a 6 feet distance from others, doing everything you can to stop the virus from spreading and please above all stay home if you can ! Together we can fight this virus and stop the current worldwide crisis, so we can hopefully return to our normal daily lives very soon. Please follow your local government’s guidelines and regulations for staying safe and protecting not just yourselves but our entire community. Plácido Domingo”

The news comes a day after Domingo resigned from AGMA and donated $500,000 for a relief fund to help those during the crisis. The resignation came after a number of women accused the 79-year-old of sexual harassment.

There has been a lot of talk about how you contract the coronavirus, and this vid really explains it well, so we thought you'd want to watch.

It's interesting. It illustrates how the virus spreads in the body, and how preventative measures keep you protected.

It also vividly -- and alarmingly -- shows how the way we deal with the virus in the early stages determines how it will evolve in the later stages. In other words, the way it begins determines the way it ends.

The video doesn't sugarcoat the danger ... it explains it especially well.

It also explains and illustrates how soap is the magic weapon against the coronavirus.

Idris Elba's wife just told Oprah she tested positive for the coronavirus, and it raises the issue that people are talking about from The White House to Hollywood -- how are these tests being distributed?

Sabrina Dhowre told Oprah she's been by Idris' side the whole time, and that's not going to change. She said it's a wife's instinct to be with her husband when he's down, and that's just what she did.

Sabrina says she doesn't have any symptoms ... nevertheless, she got the test.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease specialist on The White House Coronavirus Task Force, urged people as late as Saturday not to get tested if they are asymptomatic.

It's unclear how celebrities and professional athletes are getting hold of these tests, but clearly they are.