Covid-19: Greta Thunberg added to CNN's expert coronavirus panel

Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg. Photo / AP

CNN's decision to add 17-year-old Greta Thunberg to an expert Covid-19 panel has been blasted on social media.

Yesterday it was announced that the teen activist would be alongside a panel of medical experts in CNN's programme Coronavirus Facts and Fears.

The panel includes former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, 71 and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Richard Besser, 60 — with CNN hosts Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

However, social media watchdogs have slammed the move to add a teen climate activist on a panel with public health experts.

What place does Greta Thunberg have in this town hall? pic.twitter.com/qIKOCV8QcP

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 13, 2020

In case you didn't know,

Greta Thunberg was just added to CNN's "expert" coronavirus panel.

CNN is a complete joke! 🤣

— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) May 14, 2020

Today CNN sheds whatever credibility they had left by putting 17-year-old hand puppet Greta Thunberg on an “expert” Coronavirus panel tonight. Time to turn out th studio lights ... for good. @CNN

— Neal Boortz (@Talkmaster) May 14, 2020

BREAKING: Two more top medical experts to join Greta Thunberg on Coronavirus panel. pic.twitter.com/GlxGbIZbO2

— James Perloff (@jamesperloff) May 14, 2020

However, some did come to her defence.

Wow, it’s incredibly alarming to see the number of ADULTS attacking Greta Thunberg — a teenage girl with Asperger’s. Just think about that for a minute...

— Melissa Blake (@melissablake) May 13, 2020

Unqualified men appear on cable all day every day, bloviating endlessly, but Greta Thunberg is a bridge too far? Ok.

— roxane gay (@rgay) May 13, 2020

She’s has extraordinary knowledge and she is the next generation that is left to clean this mess we’ve made. They wouldn’t have her there if she wasn’t a powerful voice.

— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) May 13, 2020

However, Thunberg has denied that she'd be appearing in the capacity of an "expert" on a CNN coronavirus town hall.

The 17-year-old insisted that she'll only be interviewed about her activism as part of the programme Coronavirus Facts and Fears.

"Tonight I'll be interviewed on CNN to talk about the new campaign supporting @UNICEF during Covid-19 and about being an activist in a world altered by the coronavirus," Thunberg wrote on Twitter.

"It seems some people thought I was going to be on an expert panel, which of course has never been the case.

"I am an activist. The only people claiming that I'm an 'expert' are those who are trying to ridicule me.

"My message has always been to unite behind the science and listen to the experts."

I am not an expert. I am an activist. The only people claiming that I’m an “expert” are those who are trying to ridicule me. My message has always been to unite behind the science and listen to the experts. 2/2

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) May 14, 2020