Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s daughter, Violet, recently gave a speech at the United Nations, where she advocated for mask mandates and clean air to protect against COVID-19.
Key Points from the Speech
In her address, the 19-year-old youth advocate argued that leaders are “stealing” the present from young people by ignoring the ongoing pandemic. She urged adults to abandon the “relentless beat of back to normal” and instead confront the dangers of airborne transmission and the threat of Long COVID.
Violet also shared what is known about the virus, noting that:
- It is airborne, floating and lingering in the air.
- A single infection can cause disabling damage to nearly every cell in the body, including the brain, heart, nerves, and blood vessels.
- Every subsequent infection increases the risk of Long COVID.
She highlighted that after only five years, Long COVID has become the most common chronic illness in children aged five and under, surpassing asthma. Violet concluded by emphasizing that young people “lacked both real choice in the matter and information about what was being chosen for us.”
