QUEEN's BRIAN MAY On Coronavirus Pandemic: 'When We Come Out Of This, There Will Be Some Great Lessons We Have Learned'

Earlier today (Wednesday, April 1),QUEEN guitarist Brian May spoke to ITV News about the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the world and how it has affected him personally. He said (see video below): "It's a very hard time for everyone. This is a tragedy. But there are things to be grateful for. There's a lot of people who are in terrible times, and we're gonna lose a lot of people. It might be me, since I'm an elderly and vulnerable person. But, you know, it's not all bad — there are good things to look forward to, and this is only for now."

As for how he is handling self-isolating at home in London, the 72-year-old May said: "I've been through some dark times, and I am a depressive, really. So I found it very difficult at first, especially the loss of freedom. But I'm kind of getting through it. And I find that there are joys to be found in isolation. There's a lot of stuff. People are getting very creative. And when we come out of this, I think there will be some great lessons we have learned. I hope we remember the lessons that we've learned — that we can work from home, the cars can stop, the planes can stop, the air can get clear. I mean, suddenly we can all breathe again. That's gonna save countless lives. There's no animals being knocked down on the roads anymore, and our wildlife rescue is experiencing a tremendous difference. All these things which we think are part of our society and can't be got rid of, all the evils that humanity has brought to the world, they're not inevitable. Maybe we can change. Maybe we need a new direction."

Millions of Americans are facing stay-at-home orders as the coronavirus continues to tear its way through the U.S.

More than 926,000 coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide and more than 46,000 deaths so far, putting public health systems and emergency services under immense pressure.

U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Americans to heed what federal, state and local officials are asking of them in order to curtail the spread and dampen the impact of the virus on the population.