Melissa Viviane Jefferson, better known as Lizzo, confirms that she is down with strep throat and asks for more compassion on Instagram, Friday, March 20.
In the now-deleted post, the American singer-songwriter shared an image of her infected throat with the words "Got strep at the worst time ever."
She then clarified that her decision is "nobody's business." Lizzo also called people not to criticize her "for wearing a face mask" and for doing what she had to do "to protect the people" in her home. The post had been shared to her 8.4 million Instagram followers and garnered more than 10,000 likes before being taken off the site.
Beneath the picture was the 31-year-old artist's appeal to people to check themselves before they "become an internet bully" because they were "bored." She also asked people to get their facts straight before imploring that "The world needs less trolls and more compassion."
The "Juice" and "Tempo" hitmaker took to the social media platform to respond to online trolls criticizing her for apparently wearing a face mask in public amidst the shortage of protective equipment due to the mounting coronavirus pandemic.
Since the start of the global outbreak has reached the US, the public's access to PPE such as face masks, surgical gowns, and goggles have been in dire straits. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals express concern about their under-equipment and the risks of exposing themselves and their families to the virus.
A particularly scathing comment in Twitter said that if the 31-year-old singer is "not infected" with the novel coronavirus, "she should not wear or buy face masks because it's pointless and she's just making them [unavailable] for [the] people infected."
However, help is also on Lizzo's side as fans flocked to defend her from trolls and bashers. Another tweet opens, "Any excuse is good to criticize #lizzo." The supporter further explains that "she doesn't feel well so she wears a mask at home to protect the people around her" and also called the bashers "ridiculous."
Streptococcal pharyngitis, commonly known as strep throat, is an oral infection from the tonsils to the back of the throat caused by group A streptococci bacteria. Like the dreaded global pandemic, strep throat is also spread through respiratory droplets which are ejected when an infected person coughs or sneezes in close proximity to other people.
In the middle of the outbreak, the voice behind the sleeper hit "Truth Hurts" has been extending efforts to uplift the spirits of the people bummed out at home with her musical talent followed by meditation pointers.
Her video on IGTV, with more than 400,000 likes as of this writing, opens with Lizzo playing the flute behind a tray of healing stones. The 30-minute feel good video is filled with messages of encouragement and meditation before being punctuated with another session of her flute skills.
While the Detroit native has made waves in the music scene with her loud and upbeat singles, Melissa Jefferson soothed her followers with the music intended to be "calming" in the face of current events.
