Dr. Anthony Fauci Speaks to Will Smith About the Effects of COVID-19 on the Black Community

Actor, entrepreneur, and rapper Will Smith has taken to Snapchat to bring some entertainment into our lives. But, this week, he decided to have a conversation with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci and he came through with why black people have been greatly affected by COVID-19, according to The Root.

Dr. Fauci made an appearance on the latest episode of Smith’s recently launched Snapchat show Will at Home. The two spoke about what’s going on with the coronavirus and black people.

“It’s really terrible, because it’s just one of the failings of our society, that African Americans have a disproportionate prevalence in incidents of the very comorbid conditions that put you at a high risk,” Dr. Fauci tells Smith of the staggering number of COVID-19 deaths among black Americans. The “comorbid conditions” include hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and obesity.

“If you get infected, you’re going to have a poor outcome,” Fauci said, adding that the coronavirus is “a bright shining light on what disparities of health mean.” He also described the four main types of coronaviruses humans can get, from the common cold to what is affecting us now.

“It has the characteristics of very efficiently transmitting from human to human,” he explains of this particular outbreak. But, he feels that all isn’t lost and the future will be better for the fight against the coronavirus.

“When we have a vaccine, and we have enough baseline immunity, this is something you are not going to worry about for the rest of your life,” Fauci stated. “It’s tough now, and it may be tough for another year, but this is something that will go away, I promise you.”

Dr. Fauci also talked to some children during the Will at Home episode. Seven-year-old Ava asked him, “Can the tooth fairy still come if I lose my tooth, because of the coronavirus? And can she catch the virus?”

To which he responds, “I’ve got to tell you, Ava, I don’t think you have to worry about the tooth fairy,” Fauci said. “So when your tooth falls out, you stick it under your pillow, and I guarantee you, that that tooth fairy is not going to get infected and is not going to get sick.”