Surgeon General Looks to Kylie Jenner, Other Influencers, To Address 'Absolutely Serious' Coronavirus
A surprising celebrity has been called upon to help bring awareness to the severity of the coronavirus outbreak.
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told the hosts of “Good Morning America” Thursday that he believes influencers like 22-year-old Kylie Jenner will have the largest impact on how millennials handle the pandemic.
“What I really think we need to do [is] get our influencers,” Adams said.
“We need to get Kylie Jenner, we need to get our social media influencers out there, and helping folks understand that look, this is serious, this is absolutely serious. People are dying,” he added.
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams on millennials and the coronavirus: “We need to get our social media influencers out there and helping folks understand that look this is serious.” https://t.co/M1e2wFmU6F pic.twitter.com/FNjZB12mKK
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 19, 2020
Social media influencers have already been using their platforms to advocate for healthy behavior like washing your hands and social distancing.
Two days before Adams’ GMA appearance, Jenner tweeted about the importance of self-quarantining and received almost 100 thousand likes and nearly 9,000 retweets.
“I hope everyone is feeling well!” she wrote. “[I]t’s so important right now to self quarantine to ensure we aren’t endangering ourselves or anyone who can’t handle this virus.”
i hope everyone is feeling well! it’s so important right now to self quarantine to ensure we aren’t endangering ourselves or anyone who can’t handle this virus ?
— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) March 18, 2020
On Thursday, Jenner acknowledged Adams’ request on her Instagram story, and talked to her followers about staying indoors and practicing social distancing.
“Hey, guys. Happy self-quarantine!” Jenner said. “I know I’ve already been doing my daily reminders about how important it is right now to practice social distancing and self-quarantine. I’m going on my ninth day. The coronavirus is a real thing. I listened to the Surgeon General this morning, and even though I’ve already been doing my daily reminders, he definitely encouraged me to come on here and talk to you guys so you can see me and hear me.”
“Please stay inside,” she continued. “Please stay inside. Practice social distancing, self-quarantine. If you live with your parents, you don’t want to go home and get your parents sick. You might have it and not even know and be infecting other people. It’s serious and the only way that we’re gonna slow this down is if we do this since there is not a cure right now.”
“Nobody is immune to this. Millennials are not immune to this. New evidence,” she explained, “actually shows that a large percentage of people in the hospital right now are young adults.”
“I love you guys,” she said. “We’re gonna get through this together. We just have to listen to each other, respect each other, self-quarantine.”
Jenner also encouraged other influencers to speak out to their own followers on the issue.
Adams also called upon basketball stars Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell to use their platforms in a similar way.
On Monday, Mitchell promoted social distancing and called out those who are still going out to bars, restaurants, clubs and beaches on Twitter. His tweet received over 100 thousand likes and nearly 15,000 retweets.
“I’m seeing people still out and going to bars clubs restaurants beaches etc … as a country let’s help others and stay inside.”
“Practice Social Distancing,” he later tweeted.
I’m seeing people still out and going to bars clubs restaurants beaches etc… as a country let’s help others and stay inside ????
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) March 17, 2020
Practice Social Distancing…….
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) March 17, 2020
Adams stressed that influencers, like Jenner and Mitchell, could help younger generations take government-recommended regulations more seriously, adding that he believes millennials are more likely to ignore those regulations.
However, ignoring those regulations can lead to infections spreading to the most vulnerable.
“Think about your grandfather, think about your grandmother, think about the fact you’re spreading disease that could ultimately be what kills them,” Adams said.
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