Prince William Slammed for 'Insensitive' Coronavirus Joke | 22 Words

The coronavirus has brought the entire world to a standstill.

It has been spreading at an alarming rate since it was first discovered in China, and thousands of people all around the world have now died from the deadly virus.

It is certainly not a thing to be joked about, but sadly, many internet personalities out there have been poking fun at the global pandemic.

And now, Prince William is the most recent to make an insensitive joke.

Keep scrolling to find out more...

We are currently in the midst of a medical crisis.

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 Originating from the Chinese city of Wuhan, a deadly virus known as the coronavirus has been rapidly spreading across the globe.

But what exactly is the coronavirus?

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 Reuters gave a short guide to what it is exactly... "Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that get their name from what they look like under a microscope - they are spherical and their surfaces are covered with "crown"-like spikes."

So far, the symptoms have proven to be deadly.

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 "Coronavirus infections have a wide range of symptoms, including fever, coughing, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Severe cases can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and death."

A lot of people have now died from the virus...

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 It has been confirmed by Worldometer that 3,204 people have now died globally, with the majority being in mainland China. A further 93,574 have been found to carry the virus and be infected.

Things are only getting worse...

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 The virus continues to rapidly spread, and traces of the disease have already been discovered and confirmed in 8 other countries including here in America, the U.K, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.

The United Nations have declared a global emergency.

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 The World Health Organization declared the emergency last month and called on all countries to take urgent measures to contain the respiratory disease.

And everyone has been asking the same thing...

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 What is it that's causing this deadly virus?

There are many theories...

But it is widely believed that the sale of meat from wild animals is the prime cause of the coronavirus.

Bats are believed to be one of the main culprits...

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 Strains of the virus have been discovered in bats in the past and, with them being a delicacy in some areas of China, they are believed to be one of the primary causes.

But regardless of where it comes from, the virus can be spread quickly and easily...

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 And the World Health Organization has warned that it can be spread by simply coughing, kissing or making contact with saliva.

Scientists have been working tirelessly in a bid to find a vaccine...

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 But despite generous donations made to the cause, they have so far had no luck.

People all around the world are panicking.

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 It's a dire situation.

And many are going to extreme lengths to protect themselves.

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 People have been spotted donning face masks and various other items of clothing and materials in airports in a desperate bid to avoid the virus.

And last month, the panic peaked when the head of Wuhan Hospital, the city known for being at the center of the crisis, tragically died.

He is the first hospital director to die from contracting the deadly virus.

His death was confirmed by People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's Communist Party.

This is utterly devastating news.

It's safe to say that researchers are now getting desperate...

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 And there is an immense amount of pressure on authorities to find a cure, and fast.

Because the virus continues to spread across the globe like wildfire...

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 And it's showing no signs of slowing down.

As stated earlier, the coronavirus has infected numerous different countries now...

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 And the United States is now one of them.

The number of cases here in America is rising...

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 So far, eighty-eight people have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus, and 2 have reportedly died.

And the disease is only expected to continue spreading...

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 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that it expects the coronavirus to spread in the United States and has asked Americans to prepare for when the virus hits, not if, CNN reported.

Preparations are underway...

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 And hospitals across the country are bracing themselves for an influx of infected patients.

And for San Francisco, conditions have been deemed as too dire...

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 As they have become the first U.S. city to declare an official state of emergency... Despite not having any confirmed cases of the virus.

San Francisco mayor, London Breed, declared the local emergency on Tuesday.

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 “Although there are still zero confirmed cases in San Francisco residents, the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness," she said in a statement.

Declaring an emergency will enable the county to stock up on medical supplies and facilities...

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 And will allow nurses and doctors to prepare for a possible influx of patients.

And the first case of the virus was officially confirmed in New York a few days ago...

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 Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo confirmed New York State’s first case of the coronavirus on Sunday, saying that a woman contracted the virus while visiting Iran, and is now back in the city isolated in her home.

He has stressed that the situation is "under control"...

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 “The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving in New York," Governor Cuomo said in a statement.

But, regardless of his reassurances...

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 People residing in the city are descending into mass hysteria.

Evidently, the coronavirus has been causing people all around the world to suffer from serious panic...

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 And many are experiencing anxiety and worry over the impending doom the virus brings with it.

This is certainly nothing to be joking about...

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 But, of course, many people have been taking to the internet to poke fun at the pandemic and even profit off the outbreak.

But the most recent person to make a joke about the virus is an unlikely one...

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 And that person is His Royal Highness Prince William.

The future King of England and Kate Middleton have been in Ireland for the last few days...

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 And yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid a visit to Dublin's famous Guinness storehouse.

Of course, the couple enjoyed a pint of Guinness at the storehouse...

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 And they were introduced to a range of guests from film and TV, sports, sustainability and environment, creative and cultural Ireland, education and research, the charity sector and uniformed services.

The Duke was engaged in conversation with Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service...

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 He asked the paramedic how he was coping with the coronavirus outbreak, and he said, "I bet everyone's like 'I've got coronavirus, I'm dying', and you're like 'no, you've just got a cough'."

Prince William then asked if the whole thing was a bit "hyped up"...

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 "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 then asked.

His joke then took a turn for the worst...

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 "By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, Sorry. We're keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop," he joked to his peers' horror.

The Duke's joke comes just days after the Queen wore gloves to present honors during an investiture ceremony...

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 Meaning that the coronavirus pandemic has been taken quite seriously by his powerful grandmother.

Of course, people are not happy with the Duke...

Many have reminded us of the fact that "death isn't funny" and it certainly isn't something to poke fun at.

People didn't appreciate him referring to it as a "media hype"...

Especially those who have been affected by this pandemic.

You can watch the video of Prince William discussing the coronavirus here...

Make sure to stay tuned for this developing story.