CAIRO: As Egypt joins the global battle against coronavirus, Egyptians have adopted a tried-and-tested method for dealing with a crisis — making fun of it.
Coronavirus may be the No. 1 issue on Egyptians’ minds, but many are discovering that humor is the best medicine to combat the illness.
On Friday, the official number of coronavirus cases in the country climbed to almost 300, with seven deaths. However, some fear the actual number of cases may be much higher.
Instead of showing fear and anxiety, many Egyptians have resorted to sarcastic comedy on social media.
Minister of Health Hala Zayed became a favorite target of online satire after she wore a medical mask incorrectly, giving the impression that the country’s top health official does not understand basic health safety rules.
Facebook messages also mocked Zayed for visiting China last month, with some saying she was delivering an Egyptian vaccine and others that she wanted to bring the virus home with her.
The jokes did not stop there. Some said that corona was simply the name of the popular chocolate brand in Egypt.
Others suggested that since the virus originated in China, it won’t last long since all Chinese products have a limited shelf life.
One woman shared a post saying: “The world is almost coming to an end and here I am stuffing vine leaves.”
As virus cases surged in Egypt and the Ministry of Health offered instructions on virus protection using ethyl alcohol, someone tweeted a dialogue between comedians Mohamed Saad and Hassan Hosni: “Are you crying because you don’t have ethyl alcohol? No, I’m crying because I put my hands on my face.”
Another tweet: “My wife made cheese with Dettol. Delicious.” Social media users shared a video showing Egyptian actresses making fun of the virus. These included Zeina, who appeared in a video during the Luxor African Film Festival, which was canceled due to the pandemic.
BACKGROUND
Minister of Health Hala Zayed became a favorite target of online satire after she wore a medical mask incorrectly, giving the impression that the country’s top health official does not understand basic health safety rules.
Zeina posted an updated video on her Instagram account saying that she was terrified and wasn’t taking the viral threat lightly.
After the Egyptian government suspended schools and universities, and closed shops, restaurants and malls overnight, sarcasm was directed at the state of marital relationships. Divorce rates will surge because husbands and wives will be at home together, some claimed. “I see that all those who wanted to die and were thinking of committing suicide are now walking around with alcohol and face masks,” said one Twitter user.
