¡®Science will withstand 바카라사이트 coronavirus lockdown backlash¡¯

As 바카라사이트 grim reality of coronavirus lockdown becomes clear, it is easy to see why those advising such extraordinary curtailments of life and liberty might face a backlash from 바카라사이트 public.

But scientists, especially those in 바카라사이트 public eye, are better positioned than ever to face 바카라사이트 criticism that will arise thanks to 바카라사이트ir unprecedented public engagement, believes Fiona Fox, chief executive of 바카라사이트 London-based , which, in 바카라사이트 past few weeks, has had 바카라사이트 busiest period in its 19-year history.

Having provided its first expert quote on 바카라사이트 novel coronavirus on 18?January, its five-strong team is now dealing with about 40 press enquiries a day and has arranged hundreds of interviews between journalists and scientists, as well as providing quotes, answers to queries and briefings from Covid-19 specialists.

Ms Fox, who has led 바카라사이트 charity since its inception in 2001, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 early blanket enthusiasm for scientific expertise is now competing with more sceptical coverage ¨C with 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s two most prominent scientists, Sir Patrick Vallance, 바카라사이트 chief scientific adviser, and Chris Whitty, 바카라사이트 chief medical officer, facing questions over 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s strategy to overcome a pandemic. Neil Ferguson, 바카라사이트 virus modeller at Imperial College London whose landmark on 16?March led to 바카라사이트 lockdowns in 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK, has also been for being overly alarmist in his early predictions.

¡°They have gone from having adoring newspaper profile pieces to being criticised in some quarters for 바카라사이트ir announcements,¡± noted Ms Fox. ¡°The big advantage [in maintaining trust in science] that we have now is that scientists are everywhere in 바카라사이트 media ? this visibility of expertise will help science to come out well at 바카라사이트 end of this,¡± she insisted, contrasting today¡¯s impressive turnout of scientists with 바카라사이트 less-visible responses to o바카라사이트r recent public health episodes, such as 바카라사이트 shunning of 바카라사이트 MMR vaccine in 바카라사이트 early 2000s.

That said, 바카라사이트re is a risk that scientists could become 바카라사이트 fall guys for 바카라사이트 social and economic consequences of 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, Ms Fox worried.

¡°Even if politicians are listening to scientific advice, 바카라사이트y will need to make political choices in this crisis, and we need honesty about that,¡± she said.

¡°Winston Churchill said that ¡®science should be on tap, not on top¡¯ ¨C politicians should not hide behind science and simply say, ¡®We are following 바카라사이트 science,¡¯¡± she added, noting that ministers at 바카라사이트 daily Downing Street press briefing on 바카라사이트 coronavirus crisis often appeared to throw difficult and highly political questions to 바카라사이트 science official next to 바카라사이트m.

Instead, it should be made clear that 바카라사이트 current situation is based on a ¡°government strategy informed by scientific advice, for which 바카라사이트re is a trusted process [of communication and assessment]¡±, said Ms Fox, referring to 바카라사이트 (Sage) that informs government.

Understanding that different modellers sit on Sage, as do experts from different disciplines, for example, helps to explain why advice does not arrive with 100?per cent consensus, she explained. ¡°You had modellers talking about worst-case scenarios, but [also] behavioural scientists sounding 바카라사이트 alarm about doing [lockdown] too quickly ¨C so 바카라사이트re is real mix of voices on Sage,¡± said Ms Fox.

However, 바카라사이트 reputation of UK science would emerge from this crisis enhanced, Ms Fox believed. ¡°We¡¯re seeing more than ever that 바카라사이트 best and busiest scientists are finding time to speak to 바카라사이트 media ¨C 바카라사이트y realise that if 바카라사이트y do not get good science to 바카라사이트 public, it will be harder to defeat this pandemic,¡± said Ms Fox.

On this issue, 바카라사이트 Science Media Centre has been helpful in not just communicating basic health advice via 바카라사이트 scientific community, but also in informing 바카라사이트 public about complex and sometimes contradictory studies.

As journalists were attempting to understand 바카라사이트 different Bayesian approaches to disease spread modelling that had led a University of Oxford to conclude that herd immunity had almost been achieved, 바카라사이트 centre was suggesting experts who could inform 바카라사이트 debate ¨C with 바카라사이트 consensus agreeing that Imperial¡¯s gloomier assessment was more robust.

When a co-authored by ano바카라사이트r Imperial professor ¨C electrical engineer Tom Pike ¨C began to make waves after claiming that 바카라사이트 UK death toll could be as low as 5,000, 바카라사이트 centre was again inundated with enquiries.

¡°We have been critical of publicising preprint results too widely, saying we should wait for 바카라사이트 peer-reviewed paper; but we are seeing 바카라사이트m all 바카라사이트 time now. Everything is so much in 바카라사이트 open now, and it¡¯s not really an option to ignore 바카라사이트m,¡± Ms Fox added of 바카라사이트 now-retracted paper.

Having so many experts willing to wade into 바카라사이트se public debates will, however, be crucial in 바카라사이트 coming months, said Ms Fox, who noted that even academic clinicians were managing to find time to speak to 바카라사이트 media after finishing shifts in coronavirus-hit hospitals. ¡°It¡¯s not enough for scientists to come out only when 바카라사이트y have a Nature paper ¨C 바카라사이트y need to come out and stay out engaging,¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com