Andrea Bocelli secretly battled COVID-19 in MARCH and is donating his blood to help with vaccine

Andrea Bocelli has revealed he and members of his family secretly battled COVID-19 two months ago.

The Italian opera star, 61, has played a prominent global role in raising awareness amid the coronavirus pandemic, fronting the biggest live-streamed classical music event of all time at a deserted Duomo di Milano cathedral on Easter Sunday in April.

And now, the musician has admitted he was himself a carrier of the virus, having contracted it – and recovered from it – in March.

What’s more, he is donating his blood plasma to researchers who are looking at effective ways to battle the illness.

He told Good Morning America on Tuesday: ‘The pandemic which has shaken the world has also affected — albeit mildly — me and certain members of my family.

‘Out of respect for those for whom contracting the virus has had more serious consequences, I decided it would be best not to share the news. I certainly didn’t want to unnecessarily alarm my fans and also wished to protect my family’s privacy.

‘Given the chance to donate blood to help find a cure for COVID, my response was an immediate “yes”. A modest — but fundamental — gesture, through which I am playing my small part.’

He added that he had made ‘a swift and full recovery by the end of March’. 

His blood plasma will contain antibodies. Known as convalescent plasma it will be used in hopes that it ‘can be given to people with severe COVID-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus,’ according to the American nonprofit academic medical centre The Mayo Clinic.

Bocelli was seen entering the AOUP (Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana) – or the University hospital of Pisa – on Tuesday with his wife Veronica Berti, both wearing protective face masks.

Evidently, Veronica, who at 36 is 25 years younger than her husband, suffered with  COVID-19 as well, as she was also donating plasma.

Bocelli revealed that he took a test, which came back positive, on 10 March.

Speaking to journalists outside of the hospital, Bocelli explained that he had no particular problems, a bit of fever, but in practice was asymptomatic.

Bocelli’s mesmerising Music For Hope live concert has broken world records, with over 40 million people viewing the 30-minute concert on YouTube at the time of writing.

The historic event reached over 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers, making it one of the biggest musical live stream performances of all time and the largest simultaneous audience for a classical live stream in YouTube history.

The video received more than 28 million views from across the globe in its first 24 hours.

Bocelli’s extraordinary performance has since been covered in more than 100 countries worldwide, and continues to trend globally across YouTube and social media platforms.     

The staggering figures make it the biggest live-streamed classical music event of all time, as millions joined together remotely around the world.

Bocelli commented: ‘I am moved and delighted to have received such an overwhelming reaction, that has gone beyond our highest expectations.

‘For an artist, the event is the reason for the sacrifices of a lifetime; for a believer and a Catholic as I am, it was further confirmation of the benevolent smile with which the Heavenly Father looks to his children.

‘It was an immeasurable honour and privilege to lend my voice to the prayers of millions of people, gathered in a single embrace – a small, great miracle of which the whole world was the protagonist and which confirms my optimism about the future of our planet. 

‘Thanks to everyone who worked in the shadows for weeks, from management to the record label, and especially to all of those who have shared this moment with us, to stay truly united.’ 

Bocelli’s concert aimed to send ‘love, healing and hope’ to Italy amid the coronavirus crisis. 

The 61-year-old left viewers around the world in tears as they watched him perform from the deserted Duomo di Milano. 

Emotionally-charged fans praised Bocelli’s powerful performance on social media as ‘moving, mesmerising and magnificent!’  

Bocelli was granted exclusive access to the currently closed Milan cathedral by Archpriest Monsignor Gianantonio Borgonovo and Mayor Giuseppe Sala.

The church has been shut off amid the pandemic but exclusively opened its doors for the opera star and organist Emanuele Vianelli.

The outbreak has raged across Italy – particularly in the northern Lombardy region.

The event was hosted by Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, a 600-year-old organisation which supervises the building.

For his performance, Bocelli was accompanied by Duomo di Milano’s organist, Vianelli, while performing the likes of Ave Maria and Sancta Maria. 

Viewers from around the world flocked to social media to express their gratitude to the singer, who provided one of his most iconic performances to date. 

‘I can’t help crying at the heartbreaking beauty of Andrea Bocelli alone in the great duomo, only empty seats in front of him. This moment in history is magnificent and utterly sad. Siamo con te, Italia,’ wrote one person. 

‘Andrea Bocelli sang Amazing Grace just outside Duomo di Milano a few minutes ago. It was mesmerising,’ tweeted another. 

Someone else admitted: ”Holy cow. Andrea Bocelli’s Amazing Grace just now was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen. Incredibly moving.’  

Thanking the tenor, one viewer tweeted: ‘Andrea Bocelli singing alone inside Milan’s empty Duomo is heartbreaking but so powerful and uplifting. Grazie #MUSICFORHOPE.’ 

Ahead of his performance, Bocelli appeared solemn as he was photographed at the breathtaking cathedral, wearing a sleek black tux complete with bow tie. 

The tenor was without an audience due to Italy’s lockdown and government regulations surrounding COVID-19 but the footage was streamed live to his YouTube channel, and is set to be released digitally on audio streaming services within hours. 

Talking ahead of his performance, Bocelli said: ‘On the day on which we celebrate the trust in a life that triumphs, I’m honoured and happy to answer “Sì” to the invitation of the City and the Duomo of Milan.’ 

The opera singer added: ‘I believe in the strength of praying together; I believe in the Christian Easter, a universal symbol of rebirth that everyone – whether they are believers or not – truly needs right now. 

‘Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded Earth’s pulsing heart, this wonderful international forge that is reason for Italian pride. 

‘The generous, courageous, proactive Milan and the whole of Italy will be again, and very soon, a winning model, engine of a renaissance that we all hope for. 

‘It will be a joy to witness it, in the Duomo, during the Easter celebration which evokes the mystery of birth and rebirth.’ 

Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, said: ‘I am happy Andrea has accepted our invitation. This year, Easter will be very different for all of us.

‘The joyous serenity that usually comes with this day, has been greatly troubled by the pandemic we are experiencing. 

‘I am sure that the extraordinary voice of Bocelli will be the embrace we are missing these days, a strong, special hug, capable of warming the heart of Milan, Italy and the world.’

Archpriest of Duomo di Milano, Monsignor Gianantonio Borgonovo, added: ‘Our ‘Hallelujah’ is an invitation that we placed in the ark forty days ago and that the flood, which has overwhelmed us all, almost made us forget the joy of expressing it on the day of Easter. 

‘The voice and word of Andrea Bocelli reminds us that the reason for our hope does not come from us but it is a gift that comes from God. 

‘This is what it means to promote, from our Duomo – the home of the people of Milan – and through the voice of Bocelli, the confidence that the Spirit of the Risen Crucifix will help us shape the days granted to us in the Kingdom of the One who wanted a new humanity, united and fraternal.’

As well as the special concert, Bocelli is also currently fundraising with his Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) on GoFundMe to raise money for hospitals to protect their medical staff with equipment during the COVID-19 emergency.