Being a politician generally requires increased levels of diplomacy and tact.
But the new Health Secretary appeared to have missed that memo when he shared a less-than empathetic message to the public.
Sajid Javid, who revealed he had tested positive for Covid last Saturday, tweeted a week later that he had “made a “full recovery” and that his “symptoms were very mild, thanks to amazing vaccines” (so far, so good).
However, he then added: “Please, if you haven’t yet, get your jab, as we learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus.”
Whilst most of the population would support his vaccination drive, his use of the word “cower” proved a far from popular choice – and fellow Twitter users were quick to tell him so.
Following the outcry, on Sunday morning he announced that he’d deleted the offending tweet, admitting it was a “poor choice of word”.
I've deleted a tweet which used the word "cower". I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise.
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 25, 2021
Like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus and would never minimise its impact.
However, social media was already awash with the backlash. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the criticism of his remarks:
“Cower”?
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 24, 2021
129,000 Brits have died from Covid under your government’s watch.
Don’t denigrate people for trying to keep themselves and their families safe. https://t.co/u5JJCmIbiu
Christ alive ... how has it come to this, that it is possible to feel nostalgic for Hunt and Hancock? Cower? #sadopopulism https://t.co/QQQ977FNgy
— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 24, 2021
“Cower”?
— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) July 24, 2021
You have not looked into patients’ eyes as this horrible disease claims their lives.
How dare you sneer at people for trying to keep themselves & their families safe in a pandemic???
You’re the actual health secretary. https://t.co/RBB3BQIuMo
129,000 people who died didn’t cower, they fought for their lives
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) July 24, 2021
Frontline workers didn’t cower, they kept calm & carried on
Millions in lockdown didn’t cower, they followed your rules & made sacrifices for others
Glad you’ve recovered but pls never treat illness as weakness https://t.co/co7fO9kJdC
Cower from this virus. Really. The job of Govt is to keep people safe. To show empathy with folk. To seek to protect people when necessary. This is not acceptable. You might want to reflect and think about your role as health secretary in England. https://t.co/pbhK2B11Qo
— Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP) July 24, 2021
Hancock lied about care homes & testing, presided over our atrocious Covid response, gave billions to pals & the guy who ran his local, hid it with private emails, broke his own rules etc.
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 24, 2021
Yet I’d still prefer him to a guy who reckons protecting people from Covid is “cowering”. https://t.co/V1XloU1VNl
NHS and social care heroes & all of our key workers did not "cower". They risked their lives to keep us all safe. Many lost their lives because the government failed to keep them safe and instead "let the virus rip".@sajidjavid must apologise for this.https://t.co/0omwZ2g4Ib
— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) July 25, 2021
‘Cower from…’ utterly offensive language to anyone who has lost a loved one or lives with clinical vulnerability to Covid-19. Completely unacceptable from the Secretary of State for Health pic.twitter.com/2SEj3yrwX0
— Helen Hayes 💙🌹 (@helenhayes_) July 24, 2021
It’s ok @sajidjavid - I will continue to #Cower cower. I’ll cower for the benefit of the NHS, I’ll cower for those who are vulnerable, I’ll cower to keep infections down, I’ll cower to stop new variants, I’ll cower because of long covid, and I’ll cower because I care. #COVID19
— Professor Ian Donald (@iandonald_psych) July 24, 2021
I didn’t really *cower* from this virus, just found it almost incompatible with continued living. But yeah, cool cool cool. https://t.co/al6iGjDMca
— Dr Adam Rutherford (@AdamRutherford) July 24, 2021
129,000 people have died, many of them unnecessarily thanks to your government, and you use the word ‘cower’? https://t.co/lBIooLxgCM
— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) July 25, 2021
Really hard to express how upsetting this sort of sentiment is for the families of those who died of Covid. They did not cower; they were not weak; it was not their fault. https://t.co/raok58CB4D
— Sirin Kale (@thedalstonyears) July 24, 2021
'Cower from'. What a dreadful, dreadful thing to write, particularly by a health secretary. Callous godawful gibberish. https://t.co/IDGkbwAJF2
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) July 24, 2021
If you’re high risk and shielding, you’re not “cowering” - you’re resilient. If you’re in ICU on a ventilator, you’re not “cowering” - you’re brave. If your loved one lost their life to covid, they didn’t “cower” - they fought hard for you, amidst a government who didn’t. https://t.co/2gkpp8XjVD
— Frances Ryan (@DrFrancesRyan) July 24, 2021
Andrew Lansley: “I’m going to be the worst health secretary.”
— Luke Farley 🤝 Join a union! (@LAnthonyFarley) July 24, 2021
Jeremy Hunt: “Don’t think so bud, that’s going to be me.”
Matt Hancock: “haha amateurs.”
Javid: “Lads, I don’t even know what health is.” https://t.co/JwgKE4UDbR
Still, very well done Sajid Javid for demonstrating that someone COULD indeed be a worse Health Secretary than Matt Hancock
— Otto English (@Otto_English) July 24, 2021
My wonderful Dad didn't cower from Covid. While in hospital with it he vehemently told us he wasn't going to die.
— Jo Goodman (@jo_goody) July 24, 2021
But die he did, two short days later, in no small part because of the abject failure of this Government to protect him.
Sickened ain't the half of it. https://t.co/XQZ4nzZ3tp pic.twitter.com/AYnOrS3l72
Speaking on behalf of those who have lost loved ones to the pandemic, Jo Goodman – co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice – branded Javid’s comments “deeply insensitive on a number of levels”.
“Not only are they hurtful to bereaved families, implying our loved ones were too cowardly to fight the virus, but they insult all those still doing their best to protect others from the devastation this horrific virus can bring,” she said.
“Words matter and the flippancy and carelessness of this comment has caused deep hurt and further muddied the waters of the Government’s dangerously mixed messaging.”
Lib Dem health spokeswoman Munira Wilson said the minister’s tweet was “outrageous” while thousands remain in hospital with coronavirus.
“His careless words have insulted every man, woman and child who has followed the rules and stayed at home to protect others,” she said in a statement.
“He owes them all, especially the millions who are shielding, an apology.”
Public health expert Devi Sridhar said his remarks would be “painful to read for those who were severely ill” and those who lost loved ones to the virus.
The professor at the University of Edinburgh, wrote: “It wasn’t because they were weak, just unnecessarily exposed to a virus.
“And wanting to avoid getting Covid isn’t ‘cowering’ – it’s being sensible & looking out for others.”
Javid received a positive test result on July 17 for a coronavirus infection that ultimately sent Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak into isolation as contacts.
The PM’s quarantine in his Chequers country residence is expected to finish at the end of the day on Monday, as is the Chancellor’s.
The pair initially tried to avoid isolation by saying they were taking part in a testing pilot, but backed down in the face of widespread public criticism.
Javid replaced Matt Hancock as Health Secretary last month when the scandal-hit predecessor stood down amid public outrage after leaked CCTV footage showed him kissing an aide in breach of coronavirus rules.
The successor has been seen as more strongly in favour of lifting coronavirus restrictions and most remaining legal rules in England were ended on Monday.
