Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts and a leader in the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus, has a message for younger people out and about despite calls for social distancing.

“You yourself could be in harm’s way,” he said on CNN, noting that new cases show younger people can also suffer from serious illness as a result of the virus. “You’re not out of danger.”

Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also said there’s another reason for younger people to follow the “social distancing” guidelines to avoid crowds and limit contact with others.

“You have a responsibility ― a societal responsibility ― to protect the vulnerable,” he said, adding:

“You do that, interestingly, by not letting yourself get infected because you need to make sure that you don’t inadvertently pass on the infection to someone who would not fare as well as you fared because you’re young and healthy.”

Viral footage has shown some people ― often younger people ― flocking to beaches for spring break and filling bars and clubs despite pleas from health authorities to stop.

Fauci, who is 79, has been working 19 hours a day during the outbreak. See his full interview with Chris Cuomo, which includes the latest developments in the hunt for a treatment, below: