US doctor Deborah Birx turns unlikely Instagram star with her scarves at daily White House briefings

Every time US coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx appears at a White House press conference, she wears a different scarf

An Instagram account has been set up to track the changes – the creator says she hopes it provides a ‘brain break’ for those dealing with the Covid-19 coverage

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US doctor Deborah Birx has become an internet sensation for the array of scarves she wears at the daily White House press conferences on the coronavirus fight. Photo: AP

Published: 7:15pm, 2 May 2020Updated: 7:15pm, 2 May 2020

US coronavirus task force coordinator Dr Deborah Birx is best known for her calm, authoritative briefings at the daily White House press conferences – but she has also become a pop culture phenomenon for her scarves.

Knotted around her neck or wrapped around her shoulders, the brightly coloured scarves – some of them from French luxury house Hermès – seem to change almost daily.

Victoria Strout, from the US state of Texas, was one of millions who noticed, and she created the Instagram account @deborahbirxscarves a few weeks after the briefings began.

Strout, who works at a footage and music licensing company, said the account now has more than 35,000 followers.

She said she hopes it provides a “brain break” for people dealing with nonstop Covid-19 coverage, as well as a celebration of Birx, who has had a distinguished three-decade-long career focused on HIV/Aids, vaccine research and global health.