Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni urged followers on Instagram not to “underestimate the problem” of coronavirus, and called out celebrities like Kendall Jenner for sharing uninformed opinions.
Ferragni, whose Instagram feed is followed by over 18 million people, has traded glamorous fashion week and luxury vacation photos for “house look of the day” pictures as she and her family are required to stay in their Milan home as part of the country-wide coronavirus quarantine in Italy.
Over the past week, Ferragni has been vocal on social media about the seriousness of the virus, which has reportedly infected over 15,000 in Italy, making the country the worst to be hit with coronavirus after China where it originated.
On Monday, the 32-year-old and her husband, Italian rapper Fedez, organized a Go Fund Me campaign to help with the crisis, as hospitals became overwhelmed with patients. The couple developed the page with Professor Alberto Zangrillo, head of the cardiovascular and general intensive care department at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, where funds were to be donated.
Since it was first posted, the Go Fund Me page has raised over $4 million, including a 100,000 euro donation from Ferragni and her husband, according to WWD.
But as Ferragni pushed to help Italy and raise awareness for other countries, she also called out those who have downplayed the issue, specifically model Kendall Jenner, who Ferragni starred alongside in a Giambattista Valli campaign for H&M in 2019.
“The situation is really getting out of control because there are so many complications connected to this disease, especially breathing problems,” Ferragni began in an Instagram story.
“I read so many bad comments and so many jokes about coronavirus saying, ‘It’s just a f**king flu.’ And guys, I can assure you, it’s not just a f**king flu. It might be for some people, but for so many others, it gives so many complications,” she continued, speaking in English, which is her second language.
“If so many people get sick at the same time, like it’s happening in Italy, the hospital will collapse because we don’t have enough intensive care units and breathing machines to help everybody - even young people that have complications,” she explained, adding, “The problem here is not the mortality rate.”
Ferragni then went on to address recent Instagram story posts from Jenner. In her stories, Jenner shared a series of infographics from various sources like the China Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, which highlighted how “mild” the “seriousness of symptoms” was, before she shared a story that encouraged fans to “swipe up” to buy her Moon teeth whitening products.
“It’s so important to spread the right messages right away and raise awareness,” Ferragni continued, saying, “People that have such a huge voice like Kendall Jenner, please don’t underestimate the problem,” Ferragni added, tagging Jenner in the post.
The influencer also shared a series of written messages, saying, “From a huge voice, comes a huge responsibility. I’m trying my best to help my country and do what’s right for the people because I feel it’s my responsibility. Please do the same."
