The American actor and songwriter Jared Leto has just learned about the coronavirus after being isolated in the desert for almost two weeks.

The Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman made the surprising revelation over Instagram after he emerged from a silent meditation for the past 12 days. That meant he had been living completely cut off the grid, void of news and governmental updates on the deadly coronavirus outbreak which has spread across the planet.

“Wow,” his post began.

The virus has infected nearly 200,000 worldwide and more than 5,000 people in the US.

“We were totally isolated,” the actor wrote in an Instagram post. “We had no idea what was happening outside the facility.”

Leto’s reintroduction to the outside world resulted in the shocking discovery that Americans had been self-quarantining, with officials telling citizens to limit their contact with other people. His group “walked out into a very different world. One that’s been changed forever,” he said.

“Mind blowing, to say the least,” he wrote.

Leto wouldn’t be the first public figure completely unaware of an impending global pandemic. Show producers of a German version of the hit TV series Big Brother have revealed the current season’s 14 contestants are currently unaware of an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

As messages of well wishes and some jokes poured in, Leto reminded his followers to “stay safe” by staying inside. “Hope you and yours are ok. Sending positive energy to all,” he wrote.