Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has launched a coronavirus hotline to help people understand the viral outbreak befalling the nation.
Winston announced the hotline during a visit with Fox News on Wednesday, saying that he has partnered with Dr. Scott Kelly.
The hotline number is 844-TEST-COVID (1-844-837-843), and callers can get information about symptoms, and advice about what to do about their condition. If they need further medical assistance, the hotline is also able to refer patients to local doctors and will charge no co-pay or out-of-pocket expenses.
“I think it’s a no-brainer,” Kelley said during the Fox News interview. “It keeps people out of the emergency room, and it frees up our resources so we can take care of sick people. I think it’s something America needs right now.”
Winston was asked about certain claims that the virus may impact the black community harder than others.
“Personally, where I’m from in Bessemer, Ala., and Jefferson County, they have completely shut down the entire county because of the coronavirus,” Winston replied. “And I really believe that it’s because of the resources that they lack, whether it’s the local hospitals, whether it’s different machines.
“And that’s why I wanted to team up with Dr. Kelley and put this hotline out there to give people the luxury of just making a call from their own home and being safe and preventing any spread of this outrageous virus,” he concluded.
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