Almost every day, we read about news announcing the latest discoveries or inventions made by scientists to better understand and cure the virus. In January 2020, biologists use the new “next generation sequencing (NGS)” technique to read the genome of the SARS-CoV2 virus, allowing for the recognition of its novelty. The WTO quickly developed a Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (PCR) to detect the virus, which allowed countries to develop diagnostic tests. In February, the FDA authorized the emergency use of Remdesivir, which helps prevent the virus from replicating. In November, injecting monoclonal antibodies, which are made by cloning white blood cells, was found to be an effective treatment for old people with existing conditions, who are unable to develop an immune response to the virus. Numerous mathematical models were created to model and predict the number of infected and dead people and the effects of social distancing restrictions and wearing masks on the number of cases. Instead of taking years to invent as in the past, various vaccines, including the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, are being given to critical workers and medically vulnerable people a mere year after the first Covid-19 virus was found.
Despite the pandemic’s brutal reminder of humans’ fragility, it may seem as if we have entered an exciting new era of scientific discovery in which science is put on a pedestal and receives the respect that it deserves and breakthroughs are constantly being made. Contrary to popular belief, the truth is not that simple. A closer look at other aspects within these two disciplines tells a completely different story.
As the number of cases increased rapidly world wide, scientific conferences – fertile grounds for collaboration and the bouncing of new ideas of each other – have been cancelled left and right. Large-scale projects that can’t be done virtually, such as designing spacecraft or detecting gravitational waves, have been postponed as travel restrictions disabled scientists from travelling internationally. Graduate students and postdocs have been hit particularly hard since they generally rely on conferences to present their work and develop connections with senior researchers. The warm in-person camaraderie and organic exchange of ideas have been sorely lacking, and its impacts have definitely been felt.
Moreover, the pandemic has revealed the embarrassing misconceptions that most of the general public has about the nature of science. Early in the pandemic, it was announced that children were mostly unaffected by the virus and that asymptomatic cases were rare. The importance of wearing masks was underplayed, and when governments and experts changed policies and recommendations, many blamed science for being unreliable. The public failed to recognize the “messy side” of experimental science, which involves trial and error and multiple instances of reformulating hypotheses.
Initial claims were not made arbitrarily or subjectively, but rather on assumptions based on the closely related 2002 SARS-CoV virus. This misguided belief resulted in many conservative people, fueled by politicians like Trump, to develop skepticism towards science. It is tragic to see scientists silenced and ignored: in May 2020, Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert, was prevented from testifying in front of Congress, and in August 2020, there was a short time when the CDC stated that asymptomatic people do not needed to be tested, which was against health experts’ recommendations. A lack of public’s trust could have far-reaching consequences, such as fewer people willing to take the Covid-19 vaccines.
Perhaps, the tone of this article may seem to go against the optimistic mindset that our team has urged you to approach in the “Introduction.”
Why should we focus on negative impacts the pandemic has had on science in this article when there are so many great achievements to celebrate?
Well, not only do we want to emphasize that there is a good and bad side to everything, we also want to highlight the importance of understanding the nature of science and bringing science to the forefront of decision-making, whether that be through increased funding or listening to experts’ recommendations.
It’s impossible to predict accurately what the next few months will look like, and there remains many questions that science has not been able to answer yet. Why do some healthy people have no or mild symptoms while others don’t? Is it because these people have T-cells from past colds that help create immunity? How long does immunity last? However, it is clear that science will continue to play a pivotal role in combating the Covid-19 virus.
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