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One Of The Lockdowns’ Greatest Casualties Could Be Science
Alternate title: The story of how know nothing journalists and politicians corrupted and destroyed science and silenced brilliant scientific minds in pursuit of a political agenda.
Dr. Scott Atlas
Dr. John Ioannidis
Dr. Sunetra Gupta
Dr. Carl Heneghan
Dr. Jonas Ludvigsson
This last guy actually stopped doing research on Covid-19 due to the outcry from others over him doing real science. Welcome to idiocrasy, where those who present scientific fact are forced out of the scientific community by zealots in pursuit of a political agenda including other scientists.
Alternate title: The story of how know nothing journalists and politicians corrupted and destroyed science and silenced brilliant scientific minds in pursuit of a political agenda.
The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have not only been devastating for society, they have had a chilling effect on the scientific community. For science to thrive, opposing ideas must be openly and vigorously discussed, supported, or countered based on scientific merit.
Instead, some politicians, journalists, and (alas) scientists have engaged in vicious slander of dissident scientists, spreading damaging conspiracy theories, even with open calls for censorship in place of debate. In many cases, eminent scientific voices have been effectively silenced, often with gutter tactics. People who oppose lockdowns have been accused of having blood on their hands, their university positions threatened, with many of our colleagues choosing to stay quiet rather than face the mob.
Instead, some politicians, journalists, and (alas) scientists have engaged in vicious slander of dissident scientists, spreading damaging conspiracy theories, even with open calls for censorship in place of debate. In many cases, eminent scientific voices have been effectively silenced, often with gutter tactics. People who oppose lockdowns have been accused of having blood on their hands, their university positions threatened, with many of our colleagues choosing to stay quiet rather than face the mob.
Contrary to his critics, Atlas got the science right. The highest COVID-19 mortality risk is among nursing home residents. Atlas worked to ensure federal support for frequent and rapid testing of nursing home staff, residents, and visitors. While not implemented everywhere, this initiative alone saved innumerable lives.
Atlas worked hard to make masks available in nursing homes. Atlas was right to contradict former Centers for Disease Control director Dr. Robert Redfield’s false assertion that masks are more effective than vaccines. Atlas advocated for in-person schooling during the pandemic, a position that even pro-lockdown epidemiologists now endorse.
Atlas worked hard to make masks available in nursing homes. Atlas was right to contradict former Centers for Disease Control director Dr. Robert Redfield’s false assertion that masks are more effective than vaccines. Atlas advocated for in-person schooling during the pandemic, a position that even pro-lockdown epidemiologists now endorse.
Dr. John Ioannidis is a world-famous scientist who from the beginning of the epidemic called for better scientific information to decide COVID policy. His work, published in the “Bulletin of the World Health Organization,” has helped establish how deadly the virus actually is—an order of magnitude lower than the conventional narrative implies. For his work, BuzzFeed News falsely accused him of political bias and financial conflicts of interest.
In two articles published in Scientific American, two esteemed medical journalists presented evidence against the false charges Ioannidis faced, while lamenting the slander of scientists as a substitute for scientific debate. Shockingly, these journalists were then attacked. The publisher caved and published extensive trivial “corrections” to their story, none of which contradicted their reporting.
In two articles published in Scientific American, two esteemed medical journalists presented evidence against the false charges Ioannidis faced, while lamenting the slander of scientists as a substitute for scientific debate. Shockingly, these journalists were then attacked. The publisher caved and published extensive trivial “corrections” to their story, none of which contradicted their reporting.
Oxford University professor Sunetra Gupta, who is one of the world’s preeminent infectious disease epidemiologists, has been the subject of vicious attacks by politicians and media pundits with a fraction of her knowledge and wisdom. Gupta has argued throughout the epidemic for protecting the vulnerable while allowing the disease to be managed in the rest of society with limited restrictions and minimal harm.
The basis for her ideas is her deep understanding of the science of epidemics, viral spread, and disease risk. Her sensible ideas, so contrary to the lockdown policies, have been mischaracterized and attacked by the U.K. government health minister, Matt Hancock, on the floor of Parliament. Member of Parliament Neil O’Brien accused her of telling “tall tales.” Mainstream journalists in the United Kingdom have called her expertise “spurious” and accused her of making “misleading claims” akin to conspiracy theories.
The basis for her ideas is her deep understanding of the science of epidemics, viral spread, and disease risk. Her sensible ideas, so contrary to the lockdown policies, have been mischaracterized and attacked by the U.K. government health minister, Matt Hancock, on the floor of Parliament. Member of Parliament Neil O’Brien accused her of telling “tall tales.” Mainstream journalists in the United Kingdom have called her expertise “spurious” and accused her of making “misleading claims” akin to conspiracy theories.
Another epidemiologist, Professor Carl Heneghan, who leads the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford, has been the subject of similar abuse. Although he has spent his entire career evaluating and interpreting scientific evidence for scientists and the public, overwrought critics have called his writings “anti-science” for daring to point out that the only published randomized study on the efficacy of face masks calls into question their effectiveness against COVID-19 infection.
Heneghan has been attacked by U.K. government officials for his discovery that the U.K. government’s official COVID statistics had serious errors. Among the errors he discovered include items like bus accident fatalities labeled COVID deaths and people counted as dying from COVID months after their recovery from the infection. No doubt Heneghan’s willingness to tell inconvenient truths contra government scientists explains the hostility he has received.
Heneghan has been attacked by U.K. government officials for his discovery that the U.K. government’s official COVID statistics had serious errors. Among the errors he discovered include items like bus accident fatalities labeled COVID deaths and people counted as dying from COVID months after their recovery from the infection. No doubt Heneghan’s willingness to tell inconvenient truths contra government scientists explains the hostility he has received.
Dr. Jonas Ludvigsson, professor of epidemiology at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Sweden, published a ground-breaking study in the New England Journal of Medicine making it clear that it is safe to keep schools open during the pandemic, for children and teachers alike. This work has informed the policy of countries worldwide and states like Florida in the United States, which have provided safe, in-person instruction for children despite high community caseloads.
For this, Ludvigsson received abuse from both Swedish and international scientists and journalists, to the point he is refocusing his scientific work away from COVID-19.
For this, Ludvigsson received abuse from both Swedish and international scientists and journalists, to the point he is refocusing his scientific work away from COVID-19.
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