ICU expert pairs with former anti-Covid rules influencer to teach young people
Diederik Gommers, head of the Netherlands association for intensive care units NVIC, and influencer Famke Louise are going to work together to reach young people and explain the importance of adhering to the coronavirus rules, Gommers said to NOS on Wednesday after meeting with the influencer. The meeting between Gommers and Louise in Rotterdam was the result of a broadcast of talk show Jinek last week.
Louise and a number of other influencers had posted videos and statements affirming a position against the coronavirus rules on social media. Gommers tried to explain the importance of the measures to her, and while he did not convince her on screen, they agreed to meet again. Louise and other influencers removed their videos the next day.
"It was a fun, constructive conversation," Gommers said about the meeting with Louise at the Erasmus Medical Center, where he works. "Actually we agree about a lot of things."
"We are both concerned about corona, but especially about support for policy among young people," Gommers said to NOS. "We talked about how young people can be reached, and what role I could play in this. It will still take a while to figure how we are going to do that, but we hope to touch the right nerve together."
They posed for a photo and short video which were posted to Louise's Instagram channel on Wednesday. In the background is a painting of Gommers and acute care leader Ernst Kuipers standing in front of a Rotterdam flag with the word "Thanks" written in Dutch.
Gommers and Louise are set to discuss things further on Jinek next Monday.