The coronavirus wreaked extensive damage (yellow) on the lungs of a 59-year-old man who died at George Washington University Hospital, as seen in a 3D model based on computerized tomography scans. GEORGE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL AND SURGICAL THEATER
The disdain for science in the united states has expanded the death toll because people don’t accept the findings of real science. There are the anti vaccination groups, the acceptance of non verified “so called medical” cures, anti evolution groups and many other areas where groups have rejected the findings of science. The rejection of the day is the scientific information on Covid-19. From the leaders in our government to the astro-turf anti stay at home crowd we are facing a long term disruption of our way of life that will be much worse than if all people had accepted the scientific findings about this virus. From the elimination of government agencies whose job it was to be prepared for a situation like this to the denial of its hazards by our so called “leaders” to our present situation this is all part of an anti-science attitude of a significant portion of our population.
The next time you encounter someone who says the medical community is over playing the effects of this virus and does not believe we should be following the social distancing and stay at home orders direct them to this (www.sciencemag.org/…) article in Science magazine. Here is a relevant quote:
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 surges past 2.2 million globally and deaths surpass 150,000, clinicians and pathologists are struggling to understand the damage wrought by the coronavirus as it tears through the body. They are realizing that although the lungs are ground zero, its reach can extend to many organs including the heart and blood vessels, kidneys, gut, and brain.
“[The disease] can attack almost anything in the body with devastating consequences,” says cardiologist Harlan Krumholz of Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital, who is leading multiple efforts to gather clinical data on COVID-19. “Its ferocity is breathtaking and humbling.”
Here is the quote for those who say it is just a flu.
Despite the more than 1000 papers now spilling into journals and onto preprint servers every week, a clear picture is elusive, as the virus acts like no pathogen humanity has ever seen.
As a science educator at various levels from elementary school to college physics for the past 46 years it is so disappointing that our country is so backward when it comes to understanding and acceptance of science.
I encourage you to read the Science magazine article. Very scary and very enlightening.
