Stephen Curry and Dr. Fauci Have Informative Discussion on Instagram Live Regarding the Coronavirus

As the coronavirus continues to take its toll across the world, the most vital action we all can undertake is to keep ourselves informed with the right information and do our part to help slow this pandemic. With the world seemingly ground to a halt, we surely have time on our hands to achieve that goal. 

The same can be said for Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who, with the NBA season suspended until further notice, has leveraged the time on hand and the platform he has to help in any way possible. 

To date Curry, alongside others, has helped provide financial support for arena and team employees, fundraised for children, and helped administer meals for students through the Eat Learn Play Foundation, founded alongside wife Ayesha Curry. 

And in perhaps one of the most invaluable actions undertaken, Curry joined with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for an informative discussion regarding the coronavirus. 

And to ensure that a key audience would take notice, the two chatted on Thursday via Instagram Live. 

Approximately 50,000 watched, commented, and interacted on the Instagram live chat. And a few recognizable names joined in on the discussion, including President Barack Obama, former Golden State Warrior Andre Iguodala, musical artists Common, Justin Bieber, and more. 

Obama posted a wave emoji, thanked Curry and Fauci, later commenting, "Listen to the science. Do your part and take care of each other."

No matter the time zone or whether celebrity or not, thousands tuned in because in the times we’re currently in, it’s vital to heed the advice of experts, and do what we can. And throughout the live chat between Curry and Fauci, they keyed in on a few important takeaways. 

Fauci noted the divide in regard to how people are reacting to the ongoing pandemic. Simply put, there are those that are extremely frightened and those who may not have a care in the world. 

"We have to get rid of the misconception that either 'the world is going to end' or 'we're not going to do anything,'" Fauci said. "It's somewhere in the middle."

Should we be frightened or intimidated by the ongoing pandemic? Not necessarily, but we need all need to realize what’s at stake. 

To those younger individuals who may feel there is nothing to worry about, Fauci said, “We are starting to see is that people that are younger, people your age... who are getting seriously ill.” He said that young people are still the minority but they shouldn’t think they’re “exempt” from the virus.

“We are dealing with a serious problem...We've got to, as a country, pull together," Fauci said.

Curry asked Fauci about the differing social distancing restrictions of states like New York and California compared to others, and any inherent risk of lifting those restrictions too early. Fauci noted it’s not as simple as an ‘all at once’ or ‘none’ process. 

"Even if you lessen those restrictions, everyone should still practice some degree of physical distancing and avoid big crowds," Fauci said. "You can do that and still get back to somewhat of a normal life."

Fauci also answered some common questions regarding the coronavirus: whether there’s a possibility that someone can get reinfected and whether there’s a chance the virus could begin to die out in the warmer months. He mentioned authorities haven’t conducted that type of specific testing, but those possibilities can’t be entirely ruled out. 

"The chances are overwhelming that if you get infected, recover from infection, then you are not going to get infected from the same virus." In regards to the effect of warmer weather, “We don't know whether this is going to happen with this virus...It's not an unreasonable assumption, but you don't want to count on it” Fauci noted. 

From the thousands of viewers to the aforementioned celebrities, many were grateful to Stephen Curry and Dr. Fauci to take the time for an informed discussion on the coronavirus. Doing so via Instagram live helped in reaching as large an audience as possible, which is especially key given our current situation. 

To view Stephen Curry and Dr. Fauci’s discussion, you can watch it in its entirety on Stephen Curry’s YouTube channel.