Harvey Weinstein is placed in isolation with a 101 degree fever as prison doctors suspect he has coronavirus
Harvey Weinstein is suffering from a 101 degree fever and has been placed in isolation as doctors suspect he contracted coronavirus, TMZ reported Tuesday
Harvey Weinstein is experiencing a 101 degree fever and has been placed in isolation as doctors suspect he contracted coronavirus, a new report claims.
Law enforcement sources disclosed the dire state of Weinstein's health to TMZ on Tuesday, saying the disgraced movie mogul is doing 'very poorly'.
They said Weinstein, 68, has exhibited tell-tale symptoms of COVID-19 and was placed in isolation for 72 hours while he awaits the results of a test performed this morning.
If the test comes back positive he will be transferred to the hospital at the Wende Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison east of Buffalo, New York, where he is serving out a 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault.
Weinstein suffers from a litany of health issues that could put him at risk for a severe case of coronavirus, including diabetes, heart problems and high blood pressure.
A source close to the producer appeared to confirm the latest concerns over his health to TMZ, saying: 'It should come as no surprise that Mr. Weinstein has numerous maladies and conditions including a heart condition, high blood pressure and spinal stenosis.
'We are working with the NYSDOCCS and the excellent team at Wende CF to ensure Mr. Weinstein receives the proper medical attention he needs.'
In the spring there were multiple reports that Weinstein had contracted the virus, but TMZ's sources said he was never officially diagnosed at the time.
Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault at the Wende Correctional Facility in western New York
Michael Powers, head of the New York state corrections officers union, had told DailyMail.com and other outlets that Weinstein had tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-March.
But Weinstein spokesman Juda Engelmayer refuted Powers' claim two weeks later, saying that the producer had 'no symptoms and no issues'.
One of Weinstein's lawyers, Arthur Aidala, appeared to confirm Engelmayer's statement, saying: 'I don't know the exact status of his medical condition, but when I speak with him he sounds fine.'
While research on the virus is still limited, multiple studies have shown that it is possible to contract it twice.
Weinstein suffers from a variety of health issues that could put him at risk for a severe case of coronavirus, including diabetes, heart problems and high blood pressure. He is seen entering New York court with a walker on February 14
Weinstein was transferred to Wende Correctional from Rikers Island in March after being sentenced to 23 years behind bars for sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013.
His attorney Donna Rotunno has suggested that he will die in prison, saying after his sentencing that he 'won't see the light of day'.
Weinstein spent several days in the hospital for different ailments after his January conviction and then showed up at his sentencing in a wheelchair.
Within hours of the hearing, he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan with chest pains before being moved to Rikers a few days later.
His defense team had used his poor health to argue for a more lenient sentence from the court in New York.
They also argued against extraditing him to Los Angeles, where he is facing 11 charges for sexual assault, because California prisons are rife with coronavirus.