US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams shows his asthma inhaler during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on April 10. Evan Vucci/AP

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams pulled out his asthma inhaler during today’s White House briefing to prove that even “if you look fit” you could be at risk of getting coronavirus.

Adams was addressing data that shows coronavirus is disproportionately impacting people of color. He noted that people of color are not “biologically or genetically predisposed to get Covid-19.” But that they “are socially predisposed to coronavirus exposure.”

“It’s alarming, but it’s not surprising that people of color have a greater burden of chronic health conditions,” he said, noting that those conditions might include high blood pressure and asthma.

“As a matter of fact, I’ve been carrying around an inhaler in my pocket for 40 years out of fear of having a fatal asthma attack,” he said as he pulled out the inhaler. “And I hope that showing you this inhaler shows little kids with asthma all across the country that they can grow up to be Surgeon General one day.”

He continued:

“But I more immediately, share it so that everyone knows it doesn’t matter if you look fit, if you look young — you are still at risk for getting and spreading and dying from coronavirus.”