Prince William asks if coronavirus seems ‘a little bit hyped up’

Prince William on Wednesday appeared to question the media’s coverage of a global outbreak of a novel form of coronavirus during a reception hosted by the U.K.’s ambassador to Ireland.

During the event, at which William and his wife, Kate Middleton, were speaking with emergency service workers, the duke of Cambridge asked one paramedic if the global coverage of the outbreak seemed a bit “hyped up,” according to Sky News.

“I bet everyone’s like, ‘I’ve got coronavirus. I’m dying.’ And you’re like, ‘No, you’ve just got a cough,'” the prince reportedly said.

“Does it seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up, do you think, in the media?” he then asked.

It was unclear how the paramedic answered, according to Sky News.

Some politicians, including President Trump, have chastised the media over coverage of COVID-19, which is believed to have begun in China and has now sickened tens of thousands of people worldwide since it began just months ago. More than 3,000 people have died from the disease, including at least 11 in the U.S.

Despite the prince’s apparent concern that fears of coronavirus are overblown, royal officials have reportedly taken precautions amid the outbreak, with the queen herself wearing gloves during a ceremony earlier in the day.