People Are Roasting This Tech Entrepreneur With COVID-19 For Telling People To Calm Down
"Can't decide which is the worst bit but whinging about people worried about their 96yo grandma is right up there."
An Australian who contracted COVID-19 is being roasted online for saying he’s fine after contracting the virus, and that people need to “calm down”.
Australian “property technology entrepreneur” Tom Hywood contracted the virus after a short trip to Hong Kong and is currently in isolation.
“The aftershock of being held accountable for spreading illness through the community has been worse than the virus I’m fortunate to be recovering from,” he wrote in a Sydney Morning Herald editorial.
Tom Hywood, a property technology entrepreneur notably lacking in any public health expertise, reckons we should just chill out a bit on coronavirus. Cheers mate, I'll let the WHO know. https://t.co/YfZmdTpNju via @smh
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) March 12, 2020
Hywood also called the public response extreme, writing: “(people) demanded to know: “What does this mean for my grandma? She’s 96,” or, “I’ve got a massive work agenda. I can’t afford a day off.”
Of course, that comes across as massively out of touch for people who legitimately cannot afford to skip work for two weeks, or have health issues that put them at huge risk.
Predictably, he’s been called out pretty savagely.
Privileged white ruling class male who’s always had everything handed to him on a silver platter doesn’t understand what the big fuss is about, more on this as it develops
— Amy Coopes (@coopesdetat) March 12, 2020
this guy looks like he runs a company that makes those inserts for men's shoes that make them taller pic.twitter.com/fAC6XAiiOu
— Cam Williams (@MrCamW) March 12, 2020
Hywood is also the son of Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood, which publishes the Herald.
Further in the article he did say he empathised with the millions of Australians who are suffering due to the economic costs and health concerns.
I AM NOT IN THE DANGER CATEGORY SO WHAT IS EVERYONE COMPLAINING ABOUT
— Mathew O’Shaughnessy (@ShaughnessyMat) March 12, 2020
This is like those articles about Millenials who became millionaire property investors by simple hard work & self denial…. (and also inheriting wealth).
— Dr Nobody (@nick__nobody) March 12, 2020
can’t decide which is the worst bit but whinging about people worried about their 96yo grandma is right up there
— Helen Davidson (@heldavidson) March 12, 2020
“While I’m very aware COVID-19 can be lethal for the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system or respiratory difficulties, the experience of a young, relatively fit patient seems out of proportion to the panic and fear I’ve encountered since my diagnosis,” he wrote.
“In some cases the reaction was so disproportionate it was if I had the bubonic plague.”
“From this personal experience I feel it’s time to calm down and, as a nation, show some of the resilience and common sense for which we are known.”
Yep, I’m not worried personally. But I have friends and family at risk because of that. I don’t want them to get it or to give it to them.
— Adam Spence (@AdamSpenceAU) March 12, 2020
Rich kid of means in prime of health says coronavirus is no biggie. So I guess we can call off any plans to thwart it. If young white guys aren’t overly affected, then why worry about anyone else? Based on his empathy it would be safe to assume he was private “schooled” #auspol
— ??????Dirk Gently (@envirorealism) March 12, 2020
I’m tired of people downplaying the seriousness of this virus, it’s why it continues to spread. It’s fucking great that you’re young and healthy and for you it MAY just be a flu but how about some empathy for those with chronic illnesses that you pass through out the day.
— Diane Alex Scott (@WAhawkchick) March 12, 2020