Updated 18:35 IST, March 7th 2020
Elon Musk calls coronavirus panic ‘dumb’, netizens call out his ‘privilege’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the panic due to the coronavirus “dumb” but netizens were of the opinion that he doesn't have to worry because he is a billionaire.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the panic due to the deadly coronavirus “dumb” at a time when around 3500 people have lost their lives and the threat of a possible pandemic looms large. The UN health agency and governments around the world have also urged to not panic but the epidemic has not been contained yet.
The coronavirus panic is dumb
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2020
Coronavirus epidemic has become a major concern around the world as the more than 100,000 cases have been confirmed globally. The worst affected countries are China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy with around 3,500 deaths due to COVID-19. While some netizens agreed with Musk, many Twitter users called him out for giving an uninformed opinion even after running a company.
I'm totally amazed that somebody who owns a company where employees can't work from home would call taking steps to protect workplaces from a highly-infectious disease "dumb"...
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) March 6, 2020
I guess someone with your type of wealth would consider it dumb. The rest of us are figuring out game plans for surviving a worst case scenario without unlimited resources and money ... pic.twitter.com/ShcYCk8QT4
— SuzanneSays ❤️ (@LoveLaughShowUp) March 6, 2020
I mean I guess if you're a billionaire and don't have to worry about dying
— Sergio Siano (@SergioJSiano) March 6, 2020
Elon this is not a good tweet. People are still not taking proper steps.
— Bruce Fenton (@brucefenton) March 6, 2020
You are a man of science. Can I set up a call with some scientists to help change your mind?
According to the latest report, 28 new deaths in China due to coronavirus infections have been confirmed, taking the total death toll because of the deadly virus to 3,070. While most of the cases are from Hubei province of China and the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, other countries, including the United States, Iran, Italy, and South Korea, have also reported deaths related to COVID-19.
'Encouraged by accelerated research'
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that they are continuing to recommend that all countries make containment their highest priority. Speaking at a daily media briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that they are encouraged by accelerated research as part of the response. WHO has received applications for 40 diagnostic tests, 20 vaccines are in development and many clinical trials of therapeutics are underway.
Published 18:35 IST, March 7th 2020