First Lady Melania Trump will appear in nationally broadcasted public service announcements raising awareness and providing information about the novel coronavirus pandemic, the White House said Wednesday.
What We Know:
- The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the first lady, along with Dr. Anthony Fauci and other White House officials, will appear in PSAs that will “communicate the most important ways Americans can protect themselves and those most at risk”.
- “All PSAs and content will air and run during airtime and space that will be donated by the media and coordinated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House added.
If we support one another through this challenging time, America will come out stronger in the end. Great suggestions from @usnews on ways people can help their communities while still being safe & healthy through social distancing. pic.twitter.com/kzUI4yo7eO
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) March 18, 2020
- NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS, ABC/Walt Disney Television and iHeartMedia are all involved in the PSA campaign, the White House said. NBC, for example, “will create a series of videos and graphics, available in both English and Spanish, to inform high-risk populations about the steps they can take to protect themselves,” while Disney “will promote priority messaging for parents and families”.
- The announcement said ViacomCBS is leveraging its youth brands – led by MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, CMT and VH1 – to launch #AloneTogether, a campaign promoting the “importance of social distancing and drives unity through entertainment”.
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) March 19, 2020
- The coronavirus has infected over 8,000 Americans so far, killing 147.
- The virus, which first emerged in China in late 2019, causes the respiratory disease COVID-19. While many patients will experience mild or moderate symptoms, a fraction of them will have severe problems. People over 60 and with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
- The CDC encourages maintaining basic forms of hygiene including careful hand washing, avoiding touching the face, moving away from people who are coughing or sneezing, and staying at home at signs of illness.
The PSAs will direct audiences to visit coronavirus.gov, which will serve as a centralized resource offering up-to-date news on the crisis.
