A top doctor leading the response to the coronavirus outbreak warned millennials that the fate of the “greatest generation,” or those born in the earliest part of the 20th century and who lived through World War II, could be in their hands.
Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force, said during a press conference on Monday that the “key” to stopping the spread of COVID-19 is for millennials, or those born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, to heed the precautions listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even if they may not get seriously ill after being infected with the coronavirus.
“Why do I think that millennials are the key? Because they’re the ones that are out and about, and they’re the most likely to be in social gatherings, and they’re the most likely to be the least symptomatic,” Birx explained.
She continued, “And I think we’ve always heard about the greatest generation — we’re protecting the greatest generation right now. And the children of the greatest generation. And I think the millennials can help us tremendously.”
Birx admitted that she does not have a flashy message to captivate millennials so they can grasp the importance of staying home to stop the disease, but she hoped that members of the age group would hold each other responsible.
“They need to communicate with each other,” Birx said. “Public health people like myself don’t always come out with compelling and exciting messages that a 25- to 35-year-old may find interesting and something they will take to heart, but millennials can speak to one another about how important it is, in this moment, to protect all of the people.”
Birx also noted that people of any age group can become seriously ill because of a coronavirus infection, especially individuals who have underlying medical conditions.
Several states have implemented closures to bars and restaurants in order to keep younger people home. It is unclear how long those closures will remain in place.
