The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Jerome Adams, is calling on social media influencers including Kylie Jenner to help get the word out to millennials about the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak.
Adams appeared Thursday on Good Morning America and made an appeal to influencers and other celebrities to urge their followers and fans to stay indoors amid the global pandemic.
“What we really need to do is get our influencers — Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell, we need to get Kylie Jenner, we need to get our social media influencers out there and help folks understand that this is serious,” Adams said.
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He made the comments as video played on screen of young people drinking, partying and celebrating spring break.
“People are dying. We are seeing new data emerging from Italy that young people may be at higher risk in different situations than what we previously thought,” Adams explained. “Think about your grandmother, think about your grandfather, think about the fact that you’re spreading disease that could ultimately kill them.”
The Centers for Disease Control issued new guidelines this week amid the COVID-19 crisis, urging Americans to avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people; work from home; avoid discretionary travel, shopping trips and social visits; and avoid restaurants or bars.
NBA stars Durant and Mitchell have both tested positive for the coronavirus, while Jenner has said she started practicing social distancing since the virus began spreading rapidly around the world.
Watch Adams’ interview below.
