The COVID-19 pandemic is dominating news channels, social media, and our daily conversations. With such an overwhelming amount of information, it can be hard to cut through the noise.
That’s why we’re launching #PassTheMic, so that we can hear directly from the experts and frontline workers. Each day, celebrities including Julia Roberts, Danai Gurira, and Hugh Jackman will hand their social media channels over to medical experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, frontline workers like Dr. Tsion Firew of Columbia University, and policy experts like Nigeria’s former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.
“The thing that keeps me optimistic: the power of science and the ability to develop interventions, diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines,“ Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told actress Julia Roberts. “But you have to protect the vulnerable, because if you look at the statistics, those are the ones that get into serious trouble.”
Tune into Julia Roberts’ channels on 21 May to hear more from Dr. Fauci and follow our ONE channels on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for round-ups of all the action.
What the experts have to say
Over the coming weeks, celebrities will turn their social media platforms over to the experts to share the facts, science, and data about what needs to happen to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’ll hear from Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia, about what we can learn from the Ebola epidemic and why we need to improve healthcare systems. We’ll hear from Bill Frist, a doctor and former US senator from Tennessee, about the importance of having a global action plan against a virus that knows no borders. We’ll hear from Minouche Shafik, the director of the London School of Economics, on how to handle the economic impacts of this crisis.
And, we’ll hear about the need for solidarity and empathy during this global crisis. As Dr. Craig Spencer explains, “I can’t help but imagine that after this, there’s going to be some type of permanent and hopefully sustained change in the consciousness of who we are together.”
This is a global pandemic that demands a global response. Join us in calling for action to protect everyone, everywhere. And follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more on #PassTheMic.
