Yesterday, I linked to this Pajiba story about the Coronavirus and how Donald Trump is too stupid to do anything to protect people, and how he doesn’t even understand how vaccines work, nor does he understand the fact that there aren’t enough corona tests or substantive information. The point that Dustin made was that it’s more than likely that the coronavirus is already everywhere, but people don’t know they have it because Trump slashed CDC funding to build his fakakta wall. I bring all of this up because people are really and truly freaking out about the virus, the stock market is tanking and appointing Mother’s Husband as Corona Czar hasn’t helped. The death toll is in the thousands worldwide. Quarantines are happening. People are just scared. But Prince William thinks it’s all one big joke.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are taking advice on the Coronavirus threat, but will continue meeting people as usual, it emerged last night. William talked about the infection as he chatted to emergency workers at a reception hosted by Britain’s Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett in the 17th floor Gravity Bar at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse.
He asked Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service: “I bet everyone’s like ‘I’ve got Coronavirus, I’m dying’, and you’re like ‘no, you’ve just got a cough’. Does it seem quite dramatic about Coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?” he asked.
“By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading Coronavirus!’” he grimaced in mock horror. “Sorry! We’re keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop!”
The couple shook hands with dozens of people on the first day of their tour and are expected to continue to do so, based on advice they are being given. A royal source said last night the couple were following guidance from Public Health England and the Department of Health and that meant “business as usual” for now. “This is a discussion we have been having and everything we are doing should continue as usual,” said the source.
I have no idea what it’s like in Ireland, honestly, but the medical professionals here in America are pretty f–king freaked out about what’s going to happen in medical centers and hospitals once the virus really starts spreading, especially in urban areas (like New York, Chicago, or, you know, Dublin). I find it curious that we know about William’s “jokes” about the deadly virus, but we don’t know Joe Mooney’s reaction. Was it horror? I would be a tad horrified that Future King William thinks such a deadly international crisis is something to joke about.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.
What a dick. He’s insulated and protected from so much that goes on in the real world. Unrelated note- looks like someone in their mid-fifties.
Oh yes, this is the dude who finds racism “boring”.
Even royal privilege doesn’t protect you from illness.
His own children’s school was closed because of coronavirus fears and he still feels like it’s ok to joke about?
The barrier between him and reality also renders him incapable of having common sense.
His comments really show he lacks an empathy gene, but what do we expect from a man who would throw his only brother and his brother’s wife and child under the bus. I’m surprised he didn’t make a joke about George and Charlotte’s school shutdown over this issue.
Check out the actual clip of him making this statement on Lainey Gossip. God his facial expressions while he is expounding! What a pompous twit!
@JA Lowcountry Lady
I just watched that video of him on Lainey Gossip. Now I can’t unsee his front two teeth. He probably has access to the best dentists. Fix that yellow front tooth, man, or brush your damn teeth!
Ugh!! Not a good video to watch while I’m having lunch!!
What a weird comment. I think he just does not like having to do these appearances and it’s a way of acting out.
What an uninformed boor he is.
his grandma was wearing gloves so she obviously understands it hits the elderly the hardest.
Low income workers who can’t afford to take time off/those who can’t afford health care/can’t access the medical resources are going to be hit the hardest and are going to be spreading this so people like William can pull pints and laugh. William is trash.
William can mock them like he mocked the people affected by a transit strike a few years back at Wimbledon. And everyone around him can laugh.
I haven’t forgotten that. All the people who took transit had to leave. He was mocking the poor.
Luckily everyone in William’s country gets free healthcare
And? Medical shortages of supplies are quite common and probably will be more so with Brexit. Read the news. But William won’t be the one who has to suffer from that.
Honestly, William is dull and uninteresting.
No one cares about him so even him saying this disgusting ‘joke’s has no effect on him.
Eh, i think the comments feel worse cause of people already disliking him. But yeah coronavirus is over “hyped”, its serious I’m not saying otherwise tho.
I might be misunderstanding the write up – and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong… but it seemed like the emergency worker made the joke? I don’t really see where William did anything horrible here.
This WAS what William said, right?
“He asked Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service: “I bet everyone’s like ‘I’ve got Coronavirus, I’m dying’, and you’re like ‘no, you’ve just got a cough’. Does it seem quite dramatic about Coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?” he asked.”
And I mean… that’s not wrong? I’ve seen people spreading SO much fake information about the virus, people are buying medical masks at a crazy rate and the media IS hyping it up and sensationalizing it quite a bit, and I don’t think it’s wrong to point that out. I suspect that IS a scenario that emergency workers have seen – people with a slight cold immediately jumping to conclusions.
The thing is – if adults and children ACTUALLY washed their hands, we wouldn’t have nearly the issues we do. The fact that you legitimately can’t trust grown people to wash their hands after using the washroom says a hell of a lot about society, and it’s truly complacency that is making illnesses spread SO rapidly.
But when people can’t be arsed to give a crap about regular influenza that DOES kill a ton of people every flu season… and as soon as they hear about a *new* virus they start going into complete panic mode, I think it’s fair to say that it is over-hyped. You 100% need to be on top of things, go the extra mile while sanitizing, and wash your hands more frequently… but that’s about where we are at the moment. Monitor, and take precautions, but whipping people into a panic isn’t going to help.
Thank you @Erinn. The flu also kills thousands a year, and I am tired of having to explain to grown ass adults how vaccines work and that they need to be vaccinated to help protect those who are at higher risk and unable to get the shot. The media, and people’s ignorance, is really hyping up the coronavirus instead.
As a healthcare professional, I find it appalling that people even believe there’s any “overhype” around COVID-19. IMO, there can never be enough awareness when it comes to these endemics. The media is doing their part spreading the word, putting out the info needed to warn people that this is a serious issue, not sure why that is media “over-hype”. As someone from a sub-Saharan region that almost got decimated by HIV, I wish this much awareness and “over-hype” had been done much earlier/sooner than it actually was. It is believed that there’s no family in sub-Saharan Africa that has never been touched by HIV-SIDS, none. So I do take this very, very seriously. Just like people still believe information about childhood immunization is “overhyped” SMDH. Again, if you ever had a family member who is victim of polio or any of those preventable diseases, you’d understand how important it is to spread awareness. These viruses are killing people and people need to be made aware of how serious they are and what they can do to minimize spread. I’m not even going to address William. I’m sure people that have lost a loved one to this COVID-19 or even been affected by it would disagree with his jokes and over-hype claims 10000%
The flu does kill more people, but the reason why the corona virus is a bigger deal is because it is infectious for so much longer and can spread to far more people. We also still don’t know whether or not this can only kill people with existing health issues. That young doctor in China died and there doesn’t seem to be a real explanation for that.
William’s comments were buffoonish and similar to what dump has said. There is no defending them and I don’t see why people would even try to justify the callous comments.
My husband and I have been shocked for the last few days to realize that no, PEOPLE DONT WASH THEIR HANDS. Of course there are always some people; I didn’t realize it’s so MANY people. Dis-frigging-gusting.
And Boring Willy shouldn’t be bantering about what may be a a world-altering experience.
@Erinn
You are always a voice of reason on royal posts. I love to read your fair and balanced analysis.
Guys, it IS being overhyped in some ways. OBVIOUSLY you have to take it seriously, and you need to have a plan in place. But as humans we tend to get carried away with it. You have people rushing out and buying medical masks, causing a lack of supplies for people that ACTUALLY need them. You have people drinking freaking bleach in order to prevent the virus. You have people pushing the use of anti-bacterial products to prevent the virus when those products won’t have an effect on a virus.
If you look at the epidemic curve for China you’ll see that they’re getting it contained. The rise of the outbreak was cut short, sooner than expected. They’ve made a big dent in this.
Measles and mumps are a lot more contagious though, and we still have a huge scary segment of the population who refuse to immunize their children. Covid19 is more in line with ebola in terms of the R0 values, and it is lower than SARS.
I’m not at all trying to say that you shouldn’t do anything to protect yourself, or that this isn’t serious. I’m just saying that people HAVE been whipped up into a panic, and a lot of it is still just unknowns. We don’t know how many people have contracted it and were asymptomatic, either. I have legitimately heard coworkers (I’m in a small town, relatively rural on the tip of NS, so not even somewhere where the virus has been recorded) genuinely worried that they could have the virus even though they have not been traveling, haven’t been to an airport, haven’t been around anyone who has traveled. I have coworkers who are sitting at a desk with a freaking medical mask on. They’re talking about stock piling the most random things. THAT is what I’m talking about when I’m talking about the over-hype.
The problem is that people aren’t getting their information from unbiased sources. Instead of the WHO they’re relying on their local and national news and facebook to inform them, and it’s just not the same.
I’m not a medical professional, but I’m getting the signal to worry from medical professionals + governments, conferences, and schools canceling events left and right.
Didnt he also joke about him and Kate spreading CoronaVirus? The thing to the paramedic does seem like something I would ask a health professional.
And while on the topic of the hype, the flu technically kills more people but that’s only because more people (so far) have it. Percentages wise, coronavirus has a higher mortality rate. And with all the unknowns about it, I understand the fear. I’m right outside of Seattle in the US, and getting a little nervous. My immune system and my lungs arent in the greatest shape as it is. I work with health compromised people and have the sniffles right now. Logically, I have terrible allergies and always have non-contagious sinus problems this time of year. But I’m considering calling out just to be safe. I feel like a drama queen.
Measles and mumps don’t kill people on the same level as the flu and corona virus. When the WHO is telling governments that it is a high risk event, then it needs to be taken seriously.
William was dumb to make comments that are similar to what the orange idiot has said. They are not justified and should be condemned. He’s not helping the people who are panicking by diminishing their concerns.
I’m also tired of reading the “balanced comments” from people who agree with some sides and never others. William said a dumb comment. He should be slammed for it. It is unprofessional for him or anyone in the public eye saying something similar. The reaching excuses to justify his asinine comments are not balanced or reasonable. There is a pandemic with thousands of people dead around the world and pretending that some people wearing a face mask means he’s right that it is overhyped is disingenuous. He’s not right. He was dumb.
Yesterday I would have agreed with you. But this morning I read the story of the man from New Hampshire. He was told by Dr.s to self isolate and he didn’t. He went to a conference in another state! He infected a co-worker and he worked at a hospital! Sorry my anger is ripe today.
@Erinn: I love reading your comments because you’re so reasonable. My own comment was going to be “It’s absolutely inappropriate to joke about, because some people have died/will die. But he’s not wrong about the hype.”
ETA: @Nic919, I’ve lurked here for a long time. I don’t think you’re capable of recognizing a “balanced” comment.
At this point we don’t know if its overhyped or not. We just don’t. And that’s basically a direct quote from my mother, who spent her career researching vaccines and infectious diseases and running clinical trials for the top hospital in the country, and then moving to the NIAID. so lecturing people on panic isn’t really any more helpful or useful than people running to the store to buy face masks.
But, the point isn’t whether people are being whipped into a frenzy or whatever.
The point is whether it is appropriate for the future king of England to be basically saying it IS overhyped and to joke about him spreading it.
And it’s not.
ETA or basically I’m with Nic919 100% lol
WHO admitting today that the virus has a higher mortality rate than the flu and also that they still don’t understand enough about it. The media may play a part in hyping this but even when SARS happened I don’t believe there was this much interest. Maybe this will draw attention to how much of our drugs and supplies are manufactured by other countries.
Erinn, I agree. But maybe it is because I am seeing things like people buying 10 packages of Costco toilet paper or the fact that stores are sold out of paper products and hand sanitzer (yet plenty of soap) or all the panic to go grocery shopping. It does seem over hyped and that people are over reacting. I also liveed through SARS in Toronto, so maybe that is also colouring my opinion of the reaction.
I don’t think the joke was that bad or that he was wrong, but he is there as a diplomat in an official position so he probably shouldn’t have said it.
@Candikat, in your very first post you attack a long-time poster? That is very troll-like behavior.
Oh, what even is this?
Yeah, people have it and don’t realize. That is part of how it spreads.
Personally, I would prefer not to die.
Being all “oh it’s not that big of a deal” is displaying the same level of privilege as HRH Prince William. (I still want to know how much his kit cost.)
Again I agree with Erinn. We went to church on Sunday and during the peace of Christ when you’re supposed to shake hands everyone was bumping elbows.
Then during communion they passed around a tray of bread and everyone put their hands in to it to take a piece.
Yes, it is overhyped especially when you look at it in contexts such as that. I found humor in it because my other alternative is blind panic.
THANK YOU! I live in Berlin, Germany and apparently three of the infected are from my district, so the fear is real for me. But the PANIC has been worse. Shops have run out of so many tihngs, and even the fire department ran out of masks, so they have to scale down operations. This is terrible. Our travel plans has been halted now because countries are banning nationals of so and so countries, businesses had to scale down, peopple are paranoid.. AND taking up valuable resources (the overburdened healthcare workers) and it is the at risk group who should be prioritized. ALSO anyone who is sick, should NOT be heading to the doctors, which is sadly what has caused for the virus to spread even more.
It’s overhyped? The Japanese government shut down all schools for a month. Airlines are canceling flights. Concerts are cancelled. The head of WHO has put the world on high alert. This is not a media created hype at all.
All I am saying is, so what if the flu kills more. We need to read into what the authorities are saying and we have to stop playing the whatsboutism card.
Thank you!
@Samanthalous That’s exactly what I read, and personally why I am in agreement with Nic919. While Erinn’s comments are on avg. pretty balance, I was disappointed in her OG comments and the follow up on this as it was not a good take and incorrect as far as hat the WHO has shared early this morning, and I am on PST.
Of course he is. He thinks he’s funny and he’s surrounded by yes-men.
Can you imagine being part of his entourage? “Yes, your royal highness. Coronavirus. Very good sir. Indeed, sir. Hilarious, sir.” Like listening to the regent prince in Blackadder.
We are freaked about Coronavirus here in Ireland. We’ve just started confirming cases over the past few days. The Royal Visit is not getting a huge amount of coverage due to Coronavirus. I also can’t imagine that many people are rushing out to see them as a result. I thought the joke was in very poor taste. It’s like something Prince Philip would have said.
Their visit didn’t make any of the national papers front pages today either.
I guess there are more important things to report on these days.
Oh, so that’s why he’s complaining that the coronavirus is overhyped. It’s stealing his media thunder. If we’re lucky, he’ll figure out a way to get it banished.
What a clown. He is so irrelevant, tell me again what is the significance of these people doing charm offensives.
The is no significance to these people. The entire BRF is very quickly becoming irrelevant right along side Bill & Cathy.
You are right about that. Tick tock,tick tock, it’s only a matter of time. Their reign is coming to an end.
His attempt at humour only highlights his ignorance. When I’ve read or heard remarks he’s made publicly, he always comes across as being low on brain cells and/or doesn’t put in the time and effort to do his homework.
We’ve heard from his own words that he doesn’t read briefs. Bragged about it. Idiot.
Yes almost every time he opens his mouth he seems unintelligent.
I kinda went off on Chris Ship, KensingtonRoyal and the RoyalFamily on Twitter last night over this crap. This so irresponsible I can’t even talk. Also, Future Future King William needs to stop trying to be funny. He has never told a funny quip in his life. He needs to just stop.
I can’t imagine the media reaction if Harry or Meghan made a joke like that. Once again Willileaks gets away with anything.
Willileaks!?! Love it!
Willileaks!!!!!!!! 😂
Willileaks… Haha, good one.
People nearly lost their damn minds when Harry asked to be called “Harry” at a conference. We would have needed the smelling salts had he or Meghan made light of the coronavirus.
O.M.G!!! D. E. A. D!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
William the Jackass strikes again!
I mean, I could’ve made that joke. I think I even have. But I’m not a public figure at an event.
People need to calm down. Hoarding hand sanitizer like the plague is back. Like Dustin Hoffman is about to break down their door in his Outbreak suit. I blame the media. During this flu season, 160 people have died in Germany so far but when I get a flu shot every fall, I get condescending looks like I’m falling for Big Pharma or something. This fool making fun of it isn’t helping either though.
Hand sanitizer is your best defense. Unless someone literally coughs in your face, the virus is spread through contaminated surfaces.
Washing your hands properly, following basic rules of hygiene, and employing common sense is your best defense.
Not true. This is not a bacterial infection. It’s a virus. Soap and water are your best defense. Many healthcare professionals have already explained this from a scientific point of view.
Right, Fran, you nailed it. Hand sanitizer is antibacterial, not antiviral — although still good to do to protect yourself AND OTHERS during this season. Washing hands with soap/common sense is still the best defense against COVID-19.
Wash. Your. Hands. Please. And properly. The way most people slap on hand sanitizer or a true skin disinfectant even is not helping and gives a false sense of security. Wash hands.
If it’s antiviral
Hand sanitizer is useless unless you can’t have immediate access to soap and water (like on on a plane, when about to eat) and you should still wash your hands as soon as you can. It also dries your skin which increases your risks of infection. Soap and water is your best friend. It’s cheap, effective and almost everywhere
Not to diminish the necessity of hand washing and keeping our hands away from our faces, but hand sanitizer (>60% alcohol) does in fact work on Covid-19. “Coronavirus is an envelope virus, meaning it has a coating around it which the alcohol can attack, thereby eliminating the threat. (Norovirus and rhinovirus, by contrast, do not)”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/28/hand-sanitiser-or-hand-washing-which-more-effective-against-coronavirus-covid-19
Actually you should rely on soap and water before sanitizer. Don’t touch anything on the subway/bus, and stop buying masks for crying out loud. Unless you have an N95 that you have been properly fitted for by an expert there’s no point. Sick people need the masks, so leave them in the stores for the people who need them, they aren’t protecting you.
Haha yes, Dustin Hoffman in a hazmat suit breaking down your door! A few months ago I rewatched the film because it was on TNT and I hadn’t seen it in ages. It is not a particularly great movie, but it is competent film making and to my surprise I thought it hasn’t aged too badly. It is from that period in the 90s that gave us so many decent to really great films.
Funny thing is that it was this movie that got me interested in the subject of viruses and I have read books and tried to educate myself about the subject ever since. As I think I mentioned before I find it super fascinating. One of the things it led me to do was never sneeze or cough into my hands. I think it is disgusting collecting your germs and then literally handing them to others or leaving them on surfaces for others to collect. Just thinking about myself doing it makes me go yuck!
1. He’s a jack a$s
2. Corona virus is over hyped while the flu is dismissed; both mistakes that people make
3. that dress is horrid. really bad.
the green sparkly dress? total shit. what’s with the sleeves? and hem line? they are both as dumb as stumps.
It’s so tone deaf and disrespectful and dismissive. If I’m reading the exchange right, he was the one who brought up coronavirus, right? So he didn’t have to even mention it, but he clearly had a joke in his head and went for it.
I think it’s irresponsible to say it’s “overhyped” at this point. People need to be taking proper precautions to stay well and prepare to be stuck at home for a while if need be.
Everyone says “but they flu is far more deadly and we don’t freak out about that!” That’s because WE HAVE A VACCINE FOR THAT.
We have cases in the Pacific Northwest, including deaths. It’s not a joking matter. It’s freaking me out. How can someone joke about something so serious?
Once again, William remain severely out of touch with the reality outside his bubble! Not surprised!
This makes me look back to when he and his brother were young, severely priveledged and ignorant, and they both dressed in extremely offensive costumes (yall know the ones..for Harry atleast). I think about how much of a blessing that the media kept calling out and blasting Harry for his idiotic choices. Even though it was all done to protect the heir, it was still a blessing in disguise. Because his father 1st sent him to Africa for a few months, and then he joined the military! And both decisions lead him down a (very long) path of self reflection, growth, gaining empathy and maturity. And while he is still very priviledged, the Harry of today definitely knows how wrong it is to make such offensive jokes that Billy goat here can’t seem to stop himself from vomiting every chance he gets!
Yes, to everything you said!
He’s gone from Normal Bill to Philip 2.0. Also, Kate’s dress is hideous.
She’s off to see the Wizard in Emerald City!
What an ass. I’ll chalk this up to social awkwardness.
Hospital worker here
I do think the media is sensationalizing the situation and creating unnecessary panic. Like the flu, the most at-risk and hardest hit will be the elderly and immunocompromised. Us healthcare workers have been making lots of dark jokes amongst ourselves about it-but that’s just how we cope with the added stress of extra training and overtime and anxious patients. Prince William comes across as incredibly tone deaf and ignorant.
My place of work is taking it very seriously. The majority of staff have received training in the past week. All patients suspected of infection are put into isolation with 1:1 care. If the patient tests positive (no one yet), anyone who has been in contact goes into a two week quarantine irregardless of if they’re symptomatic or not.
My brother is just getting started as a doctor and they’ve been trained and prepared for some time at the state hospital he’s doing his pre-residency (about 8 months of being every doctor’s b!tch before choosing his residency) He’s said the same as you: it’s not as alarming but we’re taking it very seriously.
Well the elderly and immunocompromised deserve to be protected. It is all our responsibility to do our part. I’d rather have people panic than act chill about it. That way more people will wash their damn hands, use sanitizer, etc. This will help stop the spread.
I mean, the elderly and the immunocompromised (myself included in the later category) deserve to be protected from the flu too, but we don’t see this kind of precaution then. You know why? Because most of the people claiming to be worried about elderly/immunocompromised people AREN’T actually worried about them. They’re in a panic now because they’re worried that THEY will get sick.
@ME says I agree!
@ Erinn
I completely agree. We should also protect and be concerned for the elderly and immunocompromised during standard cold/flu season. I know I do because I have an elderly mother. The precautions people are taking now is what I do every cold/flu season and pretty much all year long. This should be standard practice every year and all year around!
I’ve been obsessive between my own health issues, and having a 94 year old grandmother. It’d kill me if I thought I made her sick, or worse. I just wish more people worried as much about others as they did themselves. I’ve been sitting beside a coworker who had TWO back to back really nasty colds, coughing, sneezing and coming in every day despite being obviously sick. During this time, she complained non-stop about people coming into work sick. Completely missing the point that she was now doing the exact same thing.
@ Erinn
We live in a very selfish world! Your co-worker should have been sent home!
The silver lining may be that more people start doing what some of us have been doing for years – wash hands, avoid touching surfaces/one’s face, cover coughs/sneezes with a tissue, etc.
Colds and flu seem to be taken lightly every year. We need more vigilance at the individual level.
Thank you @Cassandra. Community healthcare provider here, in a region that is rife with new cases. We’re all going to know somebody who gets this virus. It will, however, be fairly rare to know someone who dies from it. Yes schools will close, large gatherings will be cancelled … that’s just people jumping on the bandwagon and (intelligently) avoiding liability. I even got a few extra canned goods myself. But the absolute panic over 3000 deaths worldwide when the spread is slowing in China…gimme a break. I wish we’d all get as panicked over the annual 15000 deaths from gun violence in this country alone.
My good friend who works in public health at a major hospital and has serious inside access says it’s honestly overblown and not any more dangerous than the flu would be to the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Don’t sneeze on people, wash your hands a lot, wipe down seats on public transportation etc. Normal precautions.
So does China just shut down and kill its economy over the flu every year or is this a new thing? I’m honestly worried this is just the tip of the iceberg. If its anything like SARS the survivors have never been the same and have a laundry list of health issues. Lots and lots of 50-60 year olds dying as well. I wouldn’t consider them elderly.
I mean…He’s not wrong. My friends and I have all been saying the same thing about the media blowing things out of proportion.
Keira was right…he does look like a horse. I would add it is more like a horse’s lower appendage.
His mother was an attractive person.
She radiated kindness. He can’t be arsed to perform, lacking in all departments. I wonder what Rose saw in him…
I, too, have wondered what Rose saw in him!
Perhaps he can be charming when he wants something.
My 68 year old parents just landed in the US. I am freaking out even though they travel with an enormous international health insurance.
We already have 1 case in Argentina – 43 year old male traveled from Milan, recognised the symptoms and checked into a clinic. He is quarantined.
What he meant I’d “I want people to congratulate me on my work ethic as see, I do not let something as trivial as a virus keep me from my important work. BTW I can also be funny and relatable. Please,peasants, stop using virus as excuse for not showing up. latrines must be cleaned. Thank you very much Future Future King. PS :what is up with Kate in green,huh?
“The barrier between him and reality” gives him 0 empathy for others. In this he’s like Trump, but polar opposite to his brother and late mother. He’s a total ass, like his grandfather Prince Philip. So of course he will inherit the throne. Sometimes the “best people” are really the worst people.
Him and Kate do this often. They make statements that probably sound funny/relatable/good in their heads and it just comes off as confusing at best and tone deaf at worst
Previous examples: Louis’ first words being Mary Berry, William being “bored” with racism, William not having enough time to see his kids. Sure I’m missing some more
I’m from north italy and in my city there are many people tested positive for corona virus. The life goes on as usual..I’m still scared for my parents because we had a victim who was 61 and didn’t have any other health issues..
This is what worries me too. People keep saying this only affects the elderly, which is still awful but I wouldn’t think an otherwise healthy 61 year old would die from the flu. This is not the flu.
William is such a boor – he thinks his jokes are funny and joking about a pandemic is nothing to laugh at. Am sure he laughs at the press treatment of his brother and SIL. And there was Kate guffawing beside him.
These 2 really are the most awkward socially inept people in the public eye.
Jesus Hussein Christ, William. What privilege. Microbes don’t care who your father or granny is.
Regardless of who said what, this virus is no joke
and shouldn’t be treated as one! people are dying!
I don’t think this virus is treated as a joke. Events are cancelled, travel arrangements are stopped, schools are closed. Mainly as a means to help not distribute it further, not because it would kill everyone attending these events and schools. The fact that people might joke about virus related issues does not mean the virus itself is regarded as such. That said, someone like William – in his position as a public figure supposed to show empathy – should refrain from joking about it.
As to ‘people are dying!… people die every day, every hour on this planet. From sickness, accidents, sometimes violence. It is a fact of life that we die. As a species we survive by bringing children into the world. As human beings with the capacity for empathy and love we try to make it possible for people to live longer, healthier lives, we should limit pain and despair both physically and mentally, and then deal with death when it comes.
But every moment I am happy and enjoying my life I need to be aware that elsewhere among the millions on this earth someone suffers, is in pain or is dying, and there are family and friends he/she has. Keeping this in mind hopefully makes me, as an individual, behave responsibly – whether that is not spreading germs in general or driving carefully or a hundred other things. Consider not only myself but others around me. But at the end of the day death is part of what we are… it should make us try to be the best of ourselves while we are alive.
He’s never been funny though…I can’t think of one funny quip from him.
I really hope the women’s movement is further along by the time this jack-hole becomes king or else I can just see the excitement, the pandering the bs. Hopefully it’ll be a non-event and people are just like – great, another white male colonizer ascending to his throne through nepotism and privilege, yay. I say we riot. And, isn’t funny that virus-deniers and climate deniers are usually the folks with the most privilege in general?
Nothing new. William always has bad jokes.
Stupid, stupid, STUPID man.
And while he’s snug in his beautiful private medical facilities, getting the best of care just because he happened to be pushed out of a particular birth canal, the rest of us will die in the corridors. And for those of us who are immune compromised, this situation is progressively more frightening.
Stupid man
I work in hospitals and have attended many hospital preparation sessions with the state government and infectious disease physicians. I would not at all say medical professionals are freaking out. In fact, I am surprised at how not freaking out infectious disease doctors are (Bc I was freaking out!). They say it will likely not be contained bc the rate of infection in high but the death rate while higher then influenza is not much higher. The main issue is people over 50 or with compromised lungs and healthy people will mostly experience the virus as a cold likely not even knowing they have it (hence its contagiousness). The big thing is having enough vents to take care of people who are hit by it with lung issues so there is a lot of preparation for that. That is also why the death rate is higher in other countries- lack of adequate supplies of ventilators.
But i should have added- William is awful always and forever
No one can actually say with any confidence that the Coronavirus only kills the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. My aunt is a nurse and is always diagnosing people like she’s a doctor but has no idea what she’s saying. Unless you are a virologist who has studied the cases the simple fact is that we just don’t know how bad this could be. So the best advice is to avoid transmitting germs by washing hands properly with soap and doing it often.
It’s not for William, former part time ambulance copilot, to pretend he has any clue what he’s talking about at a public engagement.
@ Nic919, Thank you very much for clarifying!
We need an update from @Arpeggi
As a future head of state William should have known better. He really stepped on the rake here and totally insensitive. His own kids may be exposed. Dollar bet the royal family is panicking because of George and Charlotte’s school. The last thing it wants are media going on the succession may be at risk. Tin foil tiara: maybe the possible reason for the queen’s sitdown with Harry Sunday? The Windsors may need Harry and Meghan back sooner?
William probably thinks he’s immune to coronavirus because of his superior ‘royal blood’. Of course emergency services will see an increase in calls, what on earth is a person to do if they think they have think they have symptoms?
An ASS will act like an ASS
W&K, both inept and vacuous. They were in a better position behind closed doors and will never realize they are assisting in the collapse of the monarchy.
Here in Germany people are either freaking out on the virus or ignore it. As long as you’re not working in a medical field, all information you can get is from the media, and it’s confusing. Yes, it is totally hyped and on one hand they say you shouldn’t panic, on the other hand there’s hardly another subject on the news/papers/internet. The information is contradictory, first they drive us crazy that we’ all going to die so to speak, then when we’re actually afraid, politicians and experts mock us normal people as if we’re idiots and being ridiculous.
What’ really weird is people buying toilet paper, pasta and canned food like the world is coming to an end soon. Not to mention anything to sanitize, that’s really ridiculous. For a week the shelves are literally EMPTY.
So it’s difficult to know what really to do besides washing hands often, using sanitizer and all that. I HAVE to go to work, I HAVE to use the subway because I don’t own a car. However, I avoid big crowds, I won’t travel.
No one said we were all going to die, not here in Germany and not anywhere else. It is a fine line between properly informing the public about what is known or what is not yet clear on the one hand, and creating too much panic on the other. And admittedly the media (at least some of the main players) sort if overhype it, but seriously too many people are, sorry to say, stupid or ignorant or fall for lies. Healthy people don’t need to hoard hand sanitizer, normal soap and water will do. People bulk buy toilet paper – why in the world? Do they think tomorrow morning police will stop them from leaving the house and they will be quarantined for the next few weeks? And let’s say this happens (it won’t happen like that, but anyway), then you could have friends or family bring you stuff. You could order and have it delivered. Being quarantined means you are not supposed to wander around possibly spreading the virus, it does not mean you cannot have any sort of human contact as long as there are precautions. No-one would be locked up at home and left to starve. Or die from lack of toilet paper. As long as there is water supply, energy and society is still functioning you will be fine (and if you are really sick you will be in hospital).
So on the one hand it appears that some/many people make panic buys and are super worried, but on the other hand on public transport as well as in a meeting with neighbours last night I still see people coughing and sneezing into their hands. Which you simply should never do, new virus or not. Because NO, it is neither polite nor smart to cough your (whatever) viruses neatly into your hand and then distribute them around. Makes me mad.
One of the problem is that many have no clue whatsoever about viruses or bacteria, about how these things work or don’t work, about precautions or what is stupid myth not fact (it makes me angry every time I hear someone wants antibiotics for a simple cold and then they wonder why the cold isn’t gone the next day). And often people are happy to remain ignorant. There is a lot of decent information that can be found, but you need to read and listen and know your sources plus apply some common sense. But too often there is no middle ground with people, i.e. it is either unfounded panic based on non-/misinformation or total carelessness and not sticking to basic measures that are easy to apply and help everyone.
„We are all going to die“ was meant ironically, of course. In fact there is confusion about the Virus, how dangerous it is for the average person and how to deal with it. There are contradictory opinions and information in the media. People are either extremely afraid or try to play it down. That’s how I experience it every day.
It really is possible to get the facts as they are known at the moment and to see what is still unknown, also who is more in danger of having serious issues if infected, or how it is transmitted, and there is decent advice of what to do or not do.
Yes you are right in that many people either get panicky or ignore it, and the media sure plays its part, I agree with all that, BUT what many are severely lacking is common sense. There really are – and I admit this might not be easy for some – possibilities to find good information on the internet or in the real world if you know how and where to look. But people tend to listen to the loudest and shrillest voices, and sometimes I think we live in this so called ‘age of information’, but too many people cannot properly handle the information available and have difficulties judging what makes sense and what doesn’t. Maybe we have all been thrown into this media-information-internet-24-hour-super-age too fast and people lose track and rather believe lies or a hype or don’t listen to anything at all nor believe anyone anymore, and just look at things in a black and white way. Often problems are quite complex and even complicated – and that includes the current virus situation – but people prefer simple answers and want easy solutions and that is not how the world works.
Also I have mentioned it before; people are ignorant about things like viruses. Stuff that surrounds us every minute of every day. Many people still don’t know the difference between viruses and bacteria when really the basics are not that complicated. How diseases are transmitted should be much more common knowledge, because it means less panic and better precaution.
We ARE all going to die, tho!
People ARE freaking out.
Wash yr damn hands! And maybe don’t travel to China. Whatcha gonna do?
What a Moron. He truly is his father’s son…
I’m not surprised. This is coming from someone from a place of privilege. What will he say if the covid-19 hits his family? He won’t be joking so much.
People are panicking about a virus that’s only killed a few hundred people so far (yes, that might seem a lot, but in the grand scheme of things… not really).
Measles, malaria, and the “normal” strains of influenza kill literally HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS every single year, yet no one’s been running around stocking up emergency supplies because of them.
Well, it’s killed a few thousand. But I agree with your point.
OK, but those diseases have been around for a long, long time, time enough to spread globally. Covid 19 is only a few months old and hasn’t yet reached pandemic stage. And knowing the diseases you mention still kill hundreds of thousands of people a year even with the effective vaccines we have for each is actually why I am more worried about covid 19.
Just a few basic numbers. Influenza’s mortality rate is around 0.1% This coronavirus is thought to be around 2%. That’s a huge difference. And coronavirus has (or is thought to have) a higher r0 number (about double this year’s influenza strain), which means it will spread more easily.
I would much rather take action now, and hopefully stop the spread, or slow it long enough for a vaccine to become available. If it truly reaches pandemic levels, we will lose hundreds of thousands people (if not millions) while we wait for a vaccine.
By the way, people keep laughing at those of us stockpiling things. Does it not occur to you that the further this thing spreads, the more likely it is that the folks making, packaging and delivering your food and supplies to the stores or your front door could possibly be infected and this virus can live on surfaces up to nine days? Laugh at me all you want for buying a jumbo pack of toilet paper a few weeks ago, but I’m pretty sure it was virus-free, and after sitting in my garage for several months, I’m sure it will be.
The surface information is not certain, scientist see it as possible because other coronaviruses behave like that. It has not been proven though. Even if that is the case it is still highly unlikely to be contaminated that way. But if you are worried, then simply wipe down packages and wash your hands after having touched stuff. It is way more likely that at one point you might catch it from someone who doesn’t even know they have it, and maybe you yourself will not even feel any effects or sickness and you will spread it. Which is why the 2% is still up for debate: there might be larger numbers of infected people than we currently know and if that is the case then the mortality rate would come down, possibly quite considerably.
the cdc is saying its more 3-4% now
I think W is the biggest putz but Gallows Humour. It’s fine. Everyone around me is joking about the virus; doesn’t mean they aren’t worried or taking it seriously. Lots of reasons (so.many.) to dislike and critique the guy, but this isn’t one of them.
I say this as someone in the risk category due to asthma, who gets all her vaccinations, and who washes her hands many times a day and even changes clothes when she gets home, while thoroughly washing hands with a proper nailbrush. Even before Covid.
I doubt his hygiene is up to scratch. Those yellow teeth… can we say “halitosis”?
KP will go into damage control mode because CNN , Sky News and other mainstream press arerunning that comment. The Fail will eventually run the story. The queen and Charles gotta be hacked on this because William is getting dragged on social media for this stupidity.
Hope he loses more of his hair due to his ignorant comments. Karma has a way of snapping back like a rubber band.
His looks have really deteriorated over the years. He was a cute baby though.
He always has these bad jokes or inappropriate comments during public events. I don’t get it. What happened to him? I swear when he was a teen he came across as much more personable and likeable. Then he went to University and after that he turned into an oaf.
Went to Uni and hung around with other oafs and yes men is what happened to him.
Leah, you made me crack up. Let William lose more hair for his asinine remarks and let Trump get fatter for his. Hopefully our orange dictator blimp will just pop like an over-inflated balloon.
His comment was ignorant. He is not even remotely funny. And of course the British press are skipping over his comment. That’s what happens when you sell your family and soul to the press.
Trashy asshole. The entire royal family needs to be tossed out onto the streets, to see what normal working families go through.
He really is just a sh*tty person. I always say, “trash can only stay hidden for so long, eventually it begins to stink,” and this piece of trash stinks to high heaven.
Sounds about right to me!
such a dick! people like him if infected will spread it faster than plebs since he met with so many people in a day. imagine the medical staff trying to track his close contacts! by the time they get everyone, if they are that lucky, it already spreading to the second layer contact… that is what happens in SK.
I just want to say I am one of those who need to wear a mask because of medications I take weakens the immune systems. I wash my hands all throughout the day and will not get in a large crowd of people. The experts are right about getting into large crowds-you don’t know where each individual in that crowd has been or whether they have been exposed and are showing no symptoms. This is what this virus is doing as far as panic. I was thinking about when I go to the grocery store and put my hands on a cart handle not thinking whether someone exposed has just used it. It is a lot of things we do daily that cause the spread without thinking there is any harm. If this virus is spreading because of surfaces, then God help us.
What an idiot.
It is ok, we in Lebanon all joke this same joke. So it is ok I think or for me at least it is. It just a joke people don’t give it more than it deserves