Elon Musk Tweets ‘The Department Covidians Are Upset,’ What Does That Imply?

It wasn’t “Covfefe.” However a Monday morning tweet from billionaire Elon Musk included a time period that may’t readily be discovered within the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

Sure, that time period was “Department Covidians,” which isn’t an official identify or time period by any means. The phrase “Covidians,” to not be confused with Corinthians, appears to be a slang-ish time period associated not directly to Covid. Covid is brief for Covid-19, you understand that infectious illness that has already killed over 6.65 million individuals worldwide and over 1.09 million within the U.S. However what does the “Department” seek advice from right here? Is it a department in a tree? Or maybe singer songwriter Michelle Department? Is it Deion Department, the previous New England Patriots vast receiver? Perhaps Musk was speaking in regards to the department of yet one more firm that has determined to tug its promoting from Twitter, after Musk acquired the corporate in a $44 billion deal and reportedly laid off a lot of the content material moderation workers?

Effectively, determining the definition of “Department Covidians” could imply that you simply “Musk” go to the City Dictionary. Slightly than being a dictionary completely for metropolis dwellers, the City Dictionary is a crowdsourced on-line compendium of definitions for numerous slang phrases and phrases. On this case, crowdsourcing signifies that just about anybody or anybot can enter a definition for on-line voters to find out whether or not the definition ought to stick on the positioning. So take any definitions that you simply discover on the positioning with a recalled Tesla airbag filled with salt.

With that in thoughts, trying to find “Department Covidians” within the City Dictionary will return a definition posted by the “wandering healer” on November 13, 2020: “The far left zealots that consider everybody ought to worship a illness and quit their life in worry of it. The type of those who approve of locking individuals of their houses and taking away freedoms.” Yikes. Holy cult-y conspiracy theorization and politicization of the pandemic, Batman.

Presumably Department Covidians is a play on the Department Davidians identify of the cult that was led by David Koresh. The Department Davidians identify got here to nationwide consideration when the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) tried to raid the cult’s Mount Carmel headquarters close to Waco, Texas, on February 28, 1993, after considerations of kid abuse and unlawful arms possession among the many cult members had emerged. This try resulted within the deaths of 4 federal brokers. A prolonged standoff between Koresh’s group and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ensued, ending within the deaths of round 80 cult members and the Mount Carmel advanced going up in flames.

Slightly than sounding very therapeutic, what the “wandering healer” posted seemed like a wandering try to someway hyperlink following scientific evidence-based Covid-19 precautions with being in a cult. The definition appeared to be suggesting that public well being and medical consultants who’ve been warning people in regards to the extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and attempting to guard the general public have truly as a substitute been worshipping Covid-19. Sure, you heard that accurately, worshipping Covid-19.

Umm, how precisely would that work? Why the bleep would public well being and medical consultants be worshipping a virus that has been leaving so many hospitalized and so many with lengthy Covid? Why would they be worshipping one thing that’s protecting them from doing what they might usually love to do? It’s not as if public well being and medical consultants have been saying, “Gee, it will be nice to proceed working lengthy hours with none further pay and in the meantime take abuse from nameless anti-vaccination social media accounts?” As Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, Dean of the Nationwide Faculty of Tropical Drugs and writer of the ebook Stopping the Subsequent Pandemic: Vaccine Diplomacy in a Time of Anti-science, tweeted, many public well being and medical consultants have been working double-, triple-, and quadruple- time for the general public good throughout the Covid-19 pandemic:

As you possibly can see, Hotez instructed Musk, who by the best way is the world’s richest human (or perhaps second richest, relying on how Tesla inventory costs are doing) the next: “That is pointless. Present some respect to these of us who labored tirelessly within the pandemic to assist humanity.” Whereas Musk’s private wealth reportedly went from slightly below $20 billion in 2019 to as much as above $250 billion in 2022, Hotez indicated that, “I didn’t sleep for 3 yrs to assist make a low-cost patent-free vaccine expertise for the world, speaking to the nation 3-10 instances day by day to maintain American households secure.” Hotez added, “And did this for 3 years with out monetary compensation…simply because it was the precise factor to do.”

Equally, Pleasure Henningsen, MD, a Scientific Assistant Professor of Radiology on the College of Alabama-Birmingham, requested Musk who particularly he’s referring to with the time period “Department Covidians” and whether or not they’re the individuals “who mourn family members misplaced to Covid”, “who put their very own lives in danger to avoid wasting others”, “who endured abuse to share updates b/c everybody deserves good well being”, “who’re altruistic and shield others”, or another person:

In the meantime, YouTuber Liana Kerzner identified that Musk could also be utilizing this time period to explain those that are sporting face masks:

In her Twitter profile, Kerzner describes herself as a poop-throwing unicorn wrangler, which presumably signifies that you must preserve your distance when she is with unicorns. You also needs to attempt to preserve your distance from anybody who could also be contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2.

Though Musk didn’t particularly seek advice from face masks in his tweet, the implication of the time period “Department Covidians” is that public well being suggestions akin to face masks use are being points for ulterior motives in addition to defending the general public. Solely a nitTwit would declare that face masks and different Covid-19 precautions have been carried out merely to “worship a illness.” Scientific proof has clearly proven that the SARS-CoV-2 cannot solely kill but additionally go away those that survive with persistent signs, in any other case generally known as Lengthy Covid. Scientific proof has additionally proven that multi-layered interventions combining Covid-19 vaccination, face masks use, air purification, and applicable social distancing can stop the unfold of the SARS-CoV-2.

The “Department Covidians” tweet was simply one in every of a a number of Covid-19 pandemic-related tweets from Musk over the previous few days. Yesterday, I reported for Forbes how Musk had tweeted, “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci” early on Sunday morning. That acquired fairly a response from people who felt that Musk was being unfair to Fauci and people who felt that Musk was being unfair to those that have completely different gender identities. For instance, retired astronaut Scott Kelly, who’s been to area 4 instances, tweeted out the next response asking Musk to not mock already marginalized individuals and promote hate:

Kelly emphasised, “They’re actual individuals with actual emotions” and described Fauci as “a devoted public servant.” Musk, although, apparently didn’t have all of the feels and shot again, “I strongly disagree. Forcing your pronouns upon others after they didn’t ask, and implicitly ostracizing those that don’t, is neither good nor variety to anybody.” Musk additionally claimed that Fauci “funded gain-of-function analysis that killed hundreds of thousands of individuals,” with out offering any actual concrete proof supporting such a declare about Fauci.

Umm, the entire “pressure your pronouns upon others” is fascinating. Displaying your pronouns to others isn’t like exhibiting your genitals to others who don’t need to see them. And the way many individuals actually are being ostracized for not exhibiting their pronouns? In case your largest downside for the day is being requested to indicate your pronouns, you’re dwelling a fairly good life.

Musk’s pronouns tweet did get the phrase “pronouns” to pattern on Twitter however maybe not in the best way that he, himself, may need wished. For instance, journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher tweeted, “Alternate take: His pronouns are literally Damaged/Manchild,” as you possibly can see right here:

And boycott oh boycott, actor Billy Baldwin provided a zinger right here:

One of many largest tragedies of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the politicization of response measures and Covid-19 precautions. This has included the demonization of those that have labored so arduous to attempt to shield the individuals and the general public. Early on within the pandemic within the Spring of 2020, all of that applause for well being care employees, public well being consultants, and scientists was good. But it surely didn’t take lengthy for lots of that clapping to show into proverbial slaps within the face.

Musk has greater than sufficient cash to make a distinction on the earth. He may, for instance, present funding for extra Covid-19 analysis or assist alleviate the overwhelming burden that well being professionals have needed to bear all through the pandemic. Or he may make issues considerably worse. Musk additionally now successfully owns one of many largest social media platforms, which may make a giant distinction as effectively relying on how he makes use of it. On the tree of society, he, himself, may swing numerous issues upwards or downwards. The large query is which department will he find yourself grabbing.