Filmmaker and entertainment mogul Tyler Perry has taken to Instagram to try to help slow down the spread of the deadly coronavirus. He is encouraging black people to up their vitamin D intake as part of the defense to keep the coronavirus at bay, according to Essence.
The television and moviemaker posted a short Instagram clip that shares the benefits of the fat-soluble vitamin by stating, “it helps with immune and respiratory health.”
But, he is
also quick to explain to people that this alone isn’t the cure for COVID-19 nor does he endorse it as such. “This is not a cure for COVID-19. Please hear me clearly. This is not a cure for COVID-19,” he says.“What I read in a study out of Spain, Italy, and China is that a lot of people who died from COVID were low in vitamin D,” the actor said. “Listen to me, I think
that if America, this entire nation, was keeping [a] recording of who was dying and if they were low in vitamin D or deficient in different areas, we would know it—but apparently no one is keeping a record, which is insane to me.“Because we are African American people, we are naturally deficient because of the melanin in our skin, it blocks out vitamin D. And for the most part—not all of us—but, a lot of us just don’t like being in the sun and that’s where vitamin D comes from.”
Watch the clip below to hear his full remarks.
Tyler Perry is reportedly working on a plan to safely restart TV and film production projects at his 330-acre studio in Atlanta in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The actor, producer, and entrepreneur is planning to reopen the complex if he can implement COVID-19 testing for cast and crew members. If cleared, actors and staff would work and live on-site as they shoot their productions. Each production could be shot in about two-and-a-half weeks.