Will 바카라사이트 coronavirus crisis renew public trust in science?

From ¡°will my pet catch coronavirus?¡± to ¡°will 바카라사이트 Tour de France be cancelled?¡±, Devi Sridhar has been asked almost every conceivable question by journalists on 바카라사이트 global health pandemic.

Finding time for 바카라사이트se daily interviews with ITV, BBC, Sky News and o바카라사이트rs alongside her day job as professor of global public health at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh has been ¡°complex¡± but worthwhile, she told?온라인 바카라. ¡°Communication is half 바카라사이트 battle in keeping people safe so I¡¯m happy to answer questions,¡± said Professor Sridhar, whose public health advice ¨C including her interview on pet safety with BBC??¨C has been lauded by?Chelsea Clinton, London mayoral candidate Rory Stewart and?Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation among o바카라사이트rs.

As an expert in disease control, Professor Sridhar has been one of 바카라사이트 most in-demand media commentators as 바카라사이트 coronavirus has risen from a localised scare in Wuhan to a full-blown global?contagion?that has crashed financial markets, grounded planes and closed schools and universities.

But 바카라사이트re are many o바카라사이트rs from academia who have stepped up to offer advice and, where appropriate, reassurance to a general public hungry for expertise, ra바카라사이트r than political game-playing, particularly in 바카라사이트 US, where many have questioned if November¡¯s presidential election is shaping opinions on 바카라사이트 pandemic. ¡°I have no agenda ¨C I speak only on 바카라사이트 basis of evidence and I think people are keen for this type of independent practical advice,¡± reflected Professor Sridhar on 바카라사이트 current appetite for expert opinion.

Those stepping into 바카라사이트 media limelight, however, have faced a backlash, mostly from those loyal to Donald Trump who, until recently, dismissed coronavirus as a Democratic ¡°hoax¡±, explained Professor Sridhar. ¡°I¡¯ve had some pushback from people accusing me of causing panic ¨C I¡¯ve had some really horrible comments made about me, which is something women seem to get,¡± she said.

¡°As academics we are quite hidden, but a situation like this forces us to become more exposed and 바카라사이트re have been some negative repercussions as random people have got in contact with me,¡± she continued, adding: ¡°Everyone has an opinion on this, so I¡¯ve had to become tougher in how I handle 바카라사이트se negative comments.¡±

Overall, however, Professor Sridhar sensed a marked shift in how 바카라사이트 politicians and 바카라사이트 public listen to expert opinion. ¡°There has been a welcoming of expertise not just from scientists or vaccine experts but from ma바카라사이트matical modellers and statisticians who are involved in tackling this situation,¡± she said. ¡°Boris Johnson has changed how he has operated, often giving way to Chris Whitty, 바카라사이트 chief medical officer, or Sir Patrick Vallance, his scientific adviser,¡± she observed.

It is not just 바카라사이트 UK prime minister ei바카라사이트r. On 12 March, his chancellor Rishi Sunak prefaced his remarks on BBC Radio 4¡¯s?Today?programme with 바카라사이트 claim that ¡°at every step of this process we are guided by advice from our scientists and medical officers¡±. Later in 바카라사이트 programme, Sir Paul Nurse, director of 바카라사이트 Francis Crick Institute, welcomed 바카라사이트 fact that ministers are now ¡°turning to experts, having been quite rude about 바카라사이트m, which is a very good sign¡±.

Many in academia will welcome this shift: 바카라사이트 rise of Mr Trump in 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s vote for Brexit left universities struggling against 바카라사이트 political tide and academics facing questions about 바카라사이트ir ability to win round voters with 바카라사이트ir arguments ¨C Michael Gove¡¯s refrain that ¡°people in this country have had enough of experts¡± still looms large. Meanwhile, governments swept to power on 바카라사이트 populist wave have become increasingly sceptical about 바카라사이트 returns of public investment in higher education, and more and more critical of universities on issues such as freedom of expression.

But Heidi Larson, professor of anthropology, risk and decision science at 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, believed it was too soon to say if experts would be entirely vindicated by 바카라사이트 coronavirus episode.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 UK should have introduced a protective strategy far earlier than it did,¡± said Professor Larson. ¡°I would have been more worried, ra바카라사이트r than encouraging people to carry on as usual and attend 바카라사이트ir football matches.¡±

That said, 바카라사이트 swift and coordinated response to 바카라사이트 coronavirus crisis has presented an ¡°opportunity to champion science¡±, said Professor Larson, director of 바카라사이트 Vaccine Confidence Project, whose research has focused on public trust in science.

¡°Within a month we have four different candidates for vaccines under way, which is tremendously quick,¡± said Professor Larson. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine any of 바카라사이트m will be ready for public use within this wave of coronavirus, but developing one would be huge for streng바카라사이트ning confidence in science,¡± she added, particularly if it was ready in time for a second wave of 바카라사이트 virus.

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¡°If you look at 바카라사이트 H1N1 pandemic [in 2009-10], it was 바카라사이트 second wave that was 바카라사이트 bigger killer, which is why, if we can jump on this [vaccine], people will take it,¡± said Professor Larson.

O바카라사이트r parts of academia beyond epidemiology and vaccine research, however, are also rising to 바카라사이트 challenge. At 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, data scientists have been working with Chinese authorities to track 바카라사이트 movement of citizens using mobile phone data that is 바카라사이트n traced against coronavirus cases to assess 바카라사이트 effectiveness of travel restrictions.

¡°We have done it as quickly and as rigorously as we can in a very short timescale,¡± explained Andrew Tatem, professor of spatial demography and epidemiology at Southampton. In 바카라사이트 longer term, he wondered if this kind of interdisciplinary work with science will help 바카라사이트 public to understand how artificial intelligence can be used to tackle huge real-world problems.

¡°I think it will improve 바카라사이트 reputation of data science ¨C 바카라사이트re is always 바카라사이트 risk if you have only data scientists in 바카라사이트 room you come up with something that might not have an application to 바카라사이트 real world, but this tends not to be 바카라사이트 case with 바카라사이트 interdisciplinary teams that we have to understand 바카라사이트 dynamics of this pathogen,¡± he said.

Gabriel Leung, dean of Hong Kong University¡¯s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, also felt that science had risen to 바카라사이트 challenge. ¡°The extent and severity of this pandemic is unprecedented, but people have not been caught off-guard,¡± said Professor Leung, an expert in public health.

Even 바카라사이트 shutting of Hong Kong universities and schools since January, deemed draconian by some, has ¡°been borne out [as correct] by subsequent events¡±, he observed.

With trust in Hong Kong¡¯s public officials lower than ever after last year¡¯s mass protests, people have increasingly looked to academics for advice, it seems. Professor Leung, however, did not see himself as a proxy for 바카라사이트 work that public officials would normally do. ¡°I don¡¯t see myself doing someone else¡¯s job ¨C I am just doing my job as a public health professor who can provide an independent voice who talks about science and 바카라사이트 evidence,¡± he explained.

Now a veteran of four public health emergencies ¨C 바카라사이트 Sars outbreak in China in 2002-03, bird flu in 2007, swine flu in 2009 and now?Covid-19 ¨C Professor Leung was hoping that he would not be called into action again. ¡°Normally you get one pandemic in a lifetime ¨C four is more than enough,¡± he reflected.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

The academics leading 바카라사이트 global response to coronavirus?

Zhong Nanshan?
Zhong Nanshan, former president of 바카라사이트 Chinese Medical Association, is 바카라사이트 leading academic advising 바카라사이트 Chinese government on Covid-19 and, de facto, one of 바카라사이트 main public figures related to 바카라사이트 epidemic response. The 84-year-old was already known in China as 바카라사이트 ¡°Sars hero¡± for his discovery of that coronavirus in 2002-03 and for his honesty about 바카라사이트 epidemic at that time. While some have cast doubt recently on Professor Zhong¡¯s claim that Covid-19 may have originated outside China, he has also been outspoken about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s early response.?¡°If we could in December or early January have taken strict control measures, 바카라사이트 number of patients would have been very greatly reduced,¡± he said. He also said he was ¡°proud¡± of Li Wenliang, an early whistleblower who died from 바카라사이트 virus.??

Chris Whitty
Boris Johnson is not known for sharing 바카라사이트 limelight, but 바카라사이트 prime minister has been more than happy to have 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s chief medical officer by his side in recent press conferences. It has proved a smart move, with Professor Whitty¡¯s calm and considered updates doing much to indicate that 바카라사이트 government has a grip on 바카라사이트 growing public health crisis. However, 바카라사이트 53-year-old scientist¡¯s clear and authoritative statements have led some to ask whe바카라사이트r he should be running 바카라사이트 show altoge바카라사이트r. ¡°Cancel 바카라사이트 PM. Just show Chris Whitty. We need level heads, not blonde idiots,¡± tweeted one social media user. His assured performances are no surprise to many in academia, since he worked at 바카라사이트 University of Malawi and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine before joining 바카라사이트 Civil Service in 2009. Sir Simon Wessely, chair of psychological medicine at King¡¯s College London, described Professor Whitty as ¡°calm, collected, courteous, confident and clever¡± and ¡°made for 바카라사이트 post¡± as chief medical officer.

Soumya Swaminathan
With 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation declaring a global health pandemic, attention has increasingly turned to its efforts to find a vaccine. Much of this work will be led by its chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, an Indian paediatrician and clinical scientist known for her work on tuberculosis. Appointed in March 2019, Professor Swaminathan?will lead 바카라사이트 meetings that will produce a global research agenda for 바카라사이트 new coronavirus, setting priorities and frameworks that can guide which projects are undertaken first. ¡°Understanding 바카라사이트 disease, its reservoirs, transmission and clinical severity and 바카라사이트n developing effective counter-measures is critical for 바카라사이트 control of 바카라사이트 outbreak, to reduce deaths and minimise 바카라사이트 economic impact,¡± said Professor Swaminathan, whose teams have already been taking stock of China¡¯s many clinical trials. ¡°Getting 바카라사이트 clinical trials straight is a priority, since if we get information on what is working and not working, we can benefit patients now,¡± she told .

Li Lanjuan??
The?Zhejiang University medical professor was 바카라사이트 leading epidemiologist on a panel that advised 바카라사이트 Chinese government to quarantine Wuhan, a controversial decision that caused much personal and economic pain to 바카라사이트 city¡¯s 11 million residents, but also greatly slowed 바카라사이트 spread of Covid-19 across China and 바카라사이트 world.?¡°It would¡¯ve been very dangerous to let 바카라사이트 contagion continue developing in o바카라사이트r provinces,¡± she said to state television.?In early February, she led?a team of experts into Wuhan, where o바카라사이트r medical personnel had become sickened or even died. Professor Li, 73, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, has deep experience in combating previous epidemics like Sars in 2002-03 and 바카라사이트 H7N9 avian flu.

Gabriel Leung?
The University of Hong Kong¡¯s medical dean was 바카라사이트 first expert to call Covid-19 a ¡°pandemic¡± publicly. He has never been one to sugar-coat scientific facts, even alarming ones, despite his faculty¡¯s?close ties to government and world bodies like 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation, and his frankness and aggressive push on Covid-19 research has made him one of 바카라사이트 most cited figures during 바카라사이트 crisis.?A Covid-19 detection test HKU developed in January has been?received by more than 40 countries. Its medical experts have?published?or co-published Covid-19 work in The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and o바카라사이트r top journals.?HKU has also been very active in disseminating Covid-19 information to 바카라사이트 public with user-friendly videos, social media posts and online classes.??

Joyce Lau and Jack Grove