Daniel Radcliffe denies he tested positive for coronavirus

Daniel Radcliffe has shut down rumours stating that he tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after a report claimed that he is the first celebrity confirmed to be carrying the disease.

Radcliffe's representative flat out denied that the "Harry Potter" alum is sick of the contagious disease. His publicist confirmed that the 30-year-old is sound and healthy through two reassuring words "Not true" sent to Buzzfeed News.

The rumour started after a bogus @BBCNewsTonight account tweeted that the actor tested positive for COVID-19, and that he is "the first famous person to be publicly confirmed." The tweet was posted on Tuesday, and has since been deleted and the account suspended.

But, it was not deleted before other online publications including Politico and the New York Times shared the same information. The writers, Maggie Haberman and Politico's Blake Hounshell, respectively, have since apologised for falling for the scam.

Those responsible for spreading the false report admitted that they thought it was funny how people on social media can be so gullible. One participant claimed the fake tweet was a way to train society "to become more tech savvy."

"Deceiving other human's innocence by the numbers on a tweet. I could write a tweet right now but no one would believe it unless it has the right amount of numbers," another said.

The perpetrators said that they chose Radcliffe because people love him as a child star but he is not famous on social media. True, the "Guns Akimbo" star does not have an account on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Outside of Radcliffe, the perpetrators admitted that they also have other celebrities on their list who could have fallen prey to their fake COVID-19 report. These include David Hasselhoff, Megan Fox, and Pamela Anderson, celebrities who they think are "famous but people will only care about them if something huge happens."

Radcliffe is not the only celebrity to deny that they have contracted the potentially deadly coronavirus disease. Celine Dion last week denied that she has the virus and revealed that she tested negative. Instead, she only had the common cold. So far, the UK's Health Minister, Nadine Dorries, is the first known personality publicly confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19.