When will sports return? Here’s what expert Fauci told Steph Curry in coronavirus chat

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry spoke on an Instagram livestream Thursday with Dr. Anthony Fauci about when sports could resume following the pause during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the White House’s infectious disease expert, told Curry the curve trajectory needs to come down before sports can come back.

“We’ve seen that in China. They went up and down and are starting to get back to some normal life,” Fauci told Curry. “They have to be careful they don’t re-Introduce the virus back Into China. But they’re on the other side of the curve. Korea is starting to do that, they’re starting to come down.”

He added the country will need to “turn that corner” before the NBA season can resume. Fauci did not give a date for when the NBA and other sports leagues can continue.

Former President Barack Obama made his presence known in the Instagram live chat by posting a waving emoji, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Obama said in the comments, “Listen to the science. Do your part and take care of each other.”

Fauci also told the sharpshooter that young people are not immune to the virus.

“What we are starting to see is that there are some people who are younger, people your age — young, healthy, vigorous, who don’t have any underlying conditions — who are seriously ill,” Fauci said. “It’s still a very, very small minority, but it doesn’t mean that young people like yourself should say ‘I’m completely exempt from any risk of getting seriously ill.’”

Curry also asked the expert how the virus differs from the flu and if someone can contract the virus more than once, but Fauci said there is not enough data.

Curry said in the livestream that he was tested for coronavirus after having some minor symptoms, from which he has recovered. He said earlier this month he had tested positive for Influenza.

At least 10 NBA players, including Utah Jazz teammates Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, have tested positive for coronavirus.

The NBA was the first North American professional sports league to postpone its season, doing so when Gobert tested positive March 11.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 12:38 PM.