Stephen Curry Hosts Coronavirus Discussion on Instagram Live

More than 50,000 viewers, including former President Barack Obama, were watching at the peak of the 30-minute chat with Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. As the N.

B. A. ’s hiatus extended into its third week on Thursday, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry made use of his off time by hosting an Instagram Live discussion about the coronavirus with Dr. Anthony S.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the most visible medical figure in the U. S. during the outbreak. “You need to see the trajectory of the curve start to come down,” Dr.

Fauci told Curry, in response to a question about when mass gatherings like sporting events might be able to return. “We’ve seen that in China: They’ve gone up and down. They’re starting to get back to some normal life. ” Curry, with almost 30 million Instagram followers, looms large on social media.

Former President Barack Obama, an avid basketball fan, was among the more than 50,000 people who watched live as Curry directed questions to Dr. Fauci, who has quickly become a celebrity himself. Dr. Fauci also served under Obama, who sent a hand wave emoji as Curry began the session.

The roughly 30-minute interview covered many of the topics that Dr. Fauci has addressed at length through briefings and interviews in recent weeks: the importance of social distancing; what makes the coronavirus different from the seasonal flu; and why it is “significantly more serious. ” Dr. Fauci, with a miniature basketball hoop behind him, also emphasized that “young people like yourself,” referring to the 32-year-old Curry, should not feel “exempt” from risk, even though the virus tends to be most severe in older people.

The grand point that Dr. Fauci wanted to make: “This is serious business,” he said. “We are not overreacting. ” Curry told Dr.