Thursday, March 28, 2024

Learn More about WPBS Passport! Click Here

HomeVideoWATCH: How to talk to skeptical friends and family about COVID-19

WATCH: How to talk to skeptical friends and family about COVID-19

In response to a viewer question about approaching discussions with family members who don’t recognize the severity of the coronavirus, Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones encouraged folks to ask loved ones “to honor the fact that it’s important” to them, and point to case statistics in states where they may be traveling.

She also said it was important to consider how stretched thin the U.S. health care system is currently. “The hospitals are full to bursting and health care workers are getting sick and dying. So the thing is, you don’t want to stress the system beyond repair,” Jones said.

“This is a serious thing. All of us, if we are human, are vulnerable to this infection right now,” Jones said, who said that talking to health care workers or other Americans who have been affected by the virus could drive home a message about the virus’ severity to skeptical family and friends. Jones, who was formerly the president of the American Public Health Association, spoke with the PBS NewsHour’s Amna Nawaz on Dec. 10 about the coronavirus outbreak and response in the U.S.

Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

Follow us:
Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour

Subscribe:
PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe