Two brilliant minds. But while one response is potentially dangerous, the other could save millions of lives.

The coronavirus disease COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. To date, the outbreak has infected more than 109,900 persons in at least 97 countries, and caused more than 3,800 deaths, according to official counts cited in The New York Times.

At this point, it's still difficult to predict the full effects of the novel coronavirus. Will efforts to contain the disease and cause its regression succeed, or will COVID-19 turn into a full-blown, worldwide pandemic? 

Both Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently weighed in with their thoughts, and they're almost polar opposite reactions.

"The coronavirus panic is dumb"

Now, contrast that response with that of Gates, who recently posted an article on his blog entitled, "How to Respond to COVID-19."

"In the past week, COVID-19 has started to behave a lot like the once-in-a-century pathogen we've been worried about," writes Gates.

"I hope it's not that bad, but we should assume that it will be until we know otherwise."

You can really see how stark the contrast is of these two responses when you place them side by side:

Musk: "The coronavirus panic is dumb"

Gates: "I hope it's not that bad, but we should assume that it will be until we know otherwise."

Musk and Gates both possess brilliant minds. But while one of these responses is potentially dangerous, the other promotes a rational, "safety-first" mentality--and could possibly lead to saving millions of lives.

What's emotional intelligence got to do with it?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions--both in yourself and in others. This ability is important to develop in everyday life, but it can be lifesaving in the face of a panic-inducing situation like the coronavirus, because it allows you to keep emotions under control so you can make balanced, reasonable decisions.

In this case, Musk's and Gates's responses are important because they have colossal platforms, and each can influence the way millions of people view and respond to COVID-19.

Taken literally, of course, Musk's take on panic is correct. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made it clear that "current circumstances suggest it is likely that this virus will cause a pandemic," experts also advise that one of the best things the public can do is to try and remain calm.

The problem with Musk's tweet is that its casual tone detracts from the seriousness of the situation. It also undermines the work of countless medical and scientific professionals.

And while Musk attempted to explain his reasoning through a follow-up tweet, the fact is very few people saw that explanation--as opposed to the almost two million reactions (1.6 million likes and over 334,000 retweets) the original five-word tweet has received to date.

Gates, on the other hand, provided a much more detailed and nuanced explanation for his reasoning. He spoke to the dangers presented by COVID-19, and why he believes the current situation is an "excellent case in point" of how the world needs to solve an immediate problem while also improving the way it responds to outbreaks in general.

This type of response not only shows the ability to balance emotions and rational thought, it inspires others to do the same. 

Inc