Elon Musk Offers To Manufacture Ventilators, Calls Coronavirus Panic More Harmful Than The Virus

Tesla CEO and billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has offered to make medical ventilators from its Fremont, California factory for coronavirus sufferers.

Responding to a tweet by a social media user, Musk assured that his company will manufacture ventilators in case of a shortfall.

When twitter users responded by saying that the US already faces a ventilator shortfall, Musk responded by saying.

"Tesla makes cars with sophisticated hvac systems. SpaceX makes spacecraft with life support systems. Ventilators are not difficult, but cannot be produced instantly," said Musk over Twitter, and added, "Which hospitals have these shortages you speak of right now?"

The need for additional ventilators has taken centre stage in the ongoing fight against the spread of coronavirus and the ventilator has become a first line of defence for patients critically infected by the virus.

Musk who had earlier called the coronavirus panic “dumb” also came out to say that panicking over the coronavirus pandemic will cause more harm than the virus itself.

Additionally, according to BuzzFeed News Tesla will reduce its workforce at its Fremont, California, car factory after the local Sheriff's Office said the company was not complying with a three-week shelter-in-place order meant to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The shelter-in-place order was announced on Monday in six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it went into effect early Tuesday morning.

With Inputs From IANS