Meaning:
“天选” means “heaven’s chosen,” and “牧羊人,” which literally means “shepherd,” is a pun for “caretaker of COVID patients,” as “羊” is a homophone of “阳” (meaning “positive” and short for “COVID positive”). As many people have tested positive for COVID in the recent flare-up of the pandemic in Chinese cities, the few who remain healthy in a family need to act as caretakers, and have been given this humorous nickname.
Example:
A: 你身体还好吗？
Nǐ shēntǐ hái hǎo ma？
How have you been?
B: 我还好。但我丈夫和孩子都阳了，我现在是家里唯一的天选牧羊人。
Wǒ hái hǎo。 Dàn wǒ zhàngfū hé háizi dōu yáng le， wǒ xiànzài shì jiālǐ wéiyī de tiānxuǎn mùyángrén。
I’m fine. But my husband and my kid have all tested positive for COVID, leaving me to be the only caretaker around the house.