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The corona pandemic has had a positive effect on people’s attitudes towards researchers and healthcare workers. But extreme points of view are also represented.
Population trusts doctors and healthcare workers more: scene from an intensive care unit at the Bruderholzspital in Binningen BL.
Photo: Peter Klaunzer (Keystone)
The confidence of the Swiss population in science and research increased during the corona pandemic, as shown in the “Covid-19 Edition” of the Swiss Science Barometer. However, there are also critical voices.
The representative online survey conducted in November showed that 67 percent of people have “high” or “very high” confidence in science. In 2019 and 2016 it was 56 and 57 percent, as announced on Wednesday by the University of Zurich.
When it comes to the corona pandemic, respondents trust doctors and healthcare workers the most. On a scale of 1 to 5, these professionals reached a value of 4.1. Scientists received the second best rating (3.9). These groups are clearly ahead of the cantonal authorities and federal offices (3.3), politicians (2.7) and journalists (2.6).
Respondents found the media coverage to be informative, detailed, and understandable. 43 percent, but also claimed this was annoying and exaggerated.
Disagreement leads to uncertainty
72 percent of respondents would like political decisions to deal with the pandemic to be based on scientific knowledge. 63 percent find that researchers actively participate in political debates.
“However, you must do this with a united voice: while the majority of the population considers scientific controversies to be productive, at the same time 65 percent say they are not resolved when scientists publicly contradict each other,” said the scientist from communications and sociologist Mike Schäfer from the University of Zurich.
Take extreme views
However, the results of the scientific barometer also showed that almost a third of those surveyed think that the corona pandemic is turning into something bigger than it really is. A fifth believe that the number of people dying from Corona is being deliberately exaggerated by the authorities.
Photo: Anthony Anex (Keystone)
Read also: The many corona deaths in the second wave? Just a number
Extreme opinions are also represented: 16 percent believe that powerful people planned the corona pandemic. 9 percent doubt that there is evidence of the existence of the new coronavirus.
“Even if the majority of the Swiss population does not believe in conspiracy theories in relation to the corona pandemic, there is definitely a small group of people who question the scientific information on the corona,” said Julia Metag of Westphalian University. Wilhelms in Münster. Researchers should keep this in mind when communicating about the pandemic.
