Elon Musk Tweets ‘The Branch 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 “Branch Covidians,” which isn’t an official identify or time period by any means. The phrase “Covidians” appears to be a slang-ish time period associated ultimately to Covid. Covid is brief for Covid-19, 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 “Branch” consult with right here? Is it a department in a tree? Or maybe singer songwriter Michelle Department? Is it Deion Department, the previous New England Patriots huge receiver? Perhaps Musk was speaking in regards to the department of yet one more firm that has determined to drag 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?

Nicely, presumably “Branch Covidians” is a play on the “Branch Davidians” identify of the cult that was led by David Koresh. This 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.

Certainly, when you go to the City Dictionary, there’s a definition posted by the “wandering healer” on November 13, 2020: “The far left zealots that believe everyone should worship a disease and give up their life in fear of it. The kind of people that approve of locking people in their homes and taking away freedoms.” Yikes. Holy cult-y conspiracy theorization and politicization of the pandemic, Batman.

Quite than sounding very therapeutic, what the “wandering healer” posted gave the impression of a wandering try to someway hyperlink following scientific evidence-based Covid-19 precautions with being in a cult. The definition gave the impression to be suggesting that public well being and medical consultants who’ve been warning of us in regards to the extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and attempting to guard the general public have truly as an alternative been worshipping Covid-19. Sure, you heard that appropriately, 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 holding 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 would be great to continue working long hours without any extra pay and meanwhile take abuse from anonymous anti-vaccination social media accounts?” As Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, Dean of the Nationwide Faculty of Tropical Drugs and creator of the guide 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 through the Covid-19 pandemic:

As you possibly can see, Hotez informed 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: “This is unnecessary. Show some respect to those of us who worked tirelessly in the pandemic to help humanity.” Whereas Musk’s private wealth reportedly went from just 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 help make a low-cost patent-free vaccine technology for the world, communicating to the nation 3-10 times daily to keep American families safe.” Hotez added, “And did this for 3 years without financial compensation…just because it was the right thing to do.”

Equally, Pleasure Henningsen, MD, a Medical Assistant Professor of Radiology on the College of Alabama-Birmingham, requested Musk who particularly he’s referring to with the time period “Branch Covidians” and whether or not they’re the individuals “who mourn loved ones lost to Covid”, “who put their own lives at risk to save others”, “who endured abuse to share updates b/c everyone deserves good health”, “who are altruistic and protect 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 it is best to maintain your distance when she is with unicorns. You also needs to attempt to maintain your distance from anybody who could also be contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2.

Though Musk didn’t particularly consult with face masks in his tweet, the implication of the time period “Branch Covidians” is that public well being suggestions equivalent to face masks use are being points for ulterior motives apart from 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 disease.” Scientific proof has clearly proven that the SARS-CoV-2 can’t solely kill but in addition depart those that survive with persistent signs, in any other case often known as Lengthy Covid. Scientific proof has additionally proven that multi-layered interventions combining Covid-19 vaccination, face masks use, air purification, and acceptable social distancing can forestall the unfold of the SARS-CoV-2.

The “Branch Covidians” tweet was simply one in all 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 received fairly a response from of us 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 occasions, tweeted out the next response asking Musk to not mock already marginalized individuals and promote hate:

Kelly emphasised, “They are real people with real feelings” and described Fauci as “a dedicated public servant.” Musk, although, apparently didn’t have all of the feels and shot again, “I strongly disagree. Forcing your pronouns upon others when they didn’t ask, and implicitly ostracizing those who don’t, is neither good nor kind to anyone.” Musk additionally claimed that Fauci “funded gain-of-function research that killed millions of people,” with out offering any actual concrete proof supporting such a declare about Fauci.

Umm, the entire “force 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 greatest drawback for the day is being requested to indicate your pronouns, you’re dwelling a reasonably good life.

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

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

One of many greatest 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 laborious 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. However it 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 planet. 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 greatest 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 loads of issues upwards or downwards. The large query is which department will he find yourself grabbing.