Elon Musk's Twitter post last week that simply said, "The coronavirus panic is stupid" caused a stir. And now, the popular entrepreneur has sent a memo to SpaceX employees saying they are more likely to die in a car accident than from COVID-19 .
The virus has spread to more than 114 countries and affected about 137,000 people worldwide, with the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Musk, however, insists that the virus is “not among the top 100 health risks in the United States.” In contrast, US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency in the country to better deal with the pandemic.
As reported by BuzzFeed, Musk compared car accidents to a disease like COVID-19 and even used numbers to back up his statement. “There are about 36,000 deaths from accidents a year, compared to the 36 deaths so far from COVID-19,” Musk said.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk's stance on the pandemic has been met with criticism. Several health told BuzzFeed that it's not even logical for him to compare accidents to the coronavirus.
"This virus cannot be contained, and while most people will cope well with it, there is a percentage who will not. Some people may end up dying from it, and we need to focus on trying to limit people's exposure," said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.
On the one hand, automakers like Ford and General Motors have ordered their non-factory employees to work from home, but on the other hand, there are Tesla and SpaceX employees who are still working at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
However, Elon Musk said in the email he sent them that he cares “very much” about the well-being of his employees. He encouraged his employees to stay home and take care of themselves if they feel sick.
