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Public confidence in science has skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic, but if there is no breakthrough in the next six months on a vaccine, this could quickly be undermined, according to Professor Luke O’Neill.
In a webinar on how scientists have engaged with the media in recent months, the immunologist from Trinity College Dublin, who has been featured in media coverage, stressed that he was “90% sure” that a suitable vaccine would be found due to the scale of the ongoing research.
He believed that America’s leading immunologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, “the great hero” to many, had pertinent advice for scientists in the form of three rules. The first was to go with the data; the second was “if you don’t know, say so”, and the third was: the story is not about you, “it’s about trying to get information”.
While scientific literacy in Ireland was at an all-time high, scientists could not be neutral. “They have to counter the false things, especially if they harm people,” he said. The webinar, Science in the Headlines: Communicating Covid-19, was organized by the Celsius Group at Dublin City University.
Professor O’Neill admitted that he was uncomfortable being asked questions like “should the country go to level 2?” or “Should families be allowed to get together at Christmas?” because “there is no scientific answer to this.”
TCD virologist Dr Kim Roberts highlighted the “false experience” problem and the particular scenario in Ireland where many public health physicians were unable to speak to counter it. On the uncertainty of science, she said it is about being honest and admitting that “there are holes in knowledge where we need to learn more, because science takes time.”
There are many challenges for scientists when they speak in the media about the pandemic, said Dr. Claire O’Connell, a regular contributor to the Irish Times’ scientific coverage.
“These include keeping up with the flood of new studies coming out, addressing misinformation and misinformation, and also being asked questions or topics that are outside of their particular field of expertise. So they also need to communicate the uncertainty that is a hallmark of this pandemic, ”he added.
Science communication specialist Dr. Brian Trench said that the pandemic was an extraordinary learning experience for the public, and that many more people now understand science as “an ongoing process of discovery, rediscovery, and reduction of uncertainty.” He was optimistic that there would be lasting benefits for society.
When asked about how the media handled this week’s announcement of a 90 percent efficiency with Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, science writer Cormac Sheridan said it was fairly soberly reported in the first place with reference to that the details come from a press release rather than an investigation. paper.
However, listening to Morning Ireland on RTÉ radio the next day, reference was made to “a game changer” and I was thinking of tweeting “please folks drop this trope because it raises expectations … we are too early in the process “.
In addition, he added: “Covid-19 is a complex and multifactorial problem that requires multiple solutions.” The problem may be because broadcast interviews are inevitably more emotional compared to the more reserved printed word, he added.
Investigative journalist Maria Delaney of Noteworthy said it was clear that general reporters had acquired considerable scientific knowledge in recent months, as indicated by their “explainers” and comfort in handling data on the coronavirus.
But there was a marked increase in misinformation, prompting their news site, along with The Journal, to run 112 detailed “fact checks.” That said, he believed the Irish public to be critical and well informed.
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