Effectively Communicating the Uncertainties Surrounding Ebola Virus Transmission

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Basic scientific research is now considered an integral component of the fight against emerging infectious diseases like Ebola virus. The recent Ebola outbreak, however, demonstrates how the ineffective communication of basic science can stoke public panic more than it provides helpful tools to responders; basic science trades in probabilities and uncertainty, while public communication tends to favor more categorical claims. Here, we discuss the ethics of communicating scientific results, using, as a case study, the recent controversy over whether basic life sciences research demonstrates that Ebola could become transmissible via airborne respiratory droplet nuclei—popularly known as a virus becoming “airborne.” We show how the science does not demonstrate this possibility, despite claims made in the popular and scientific press. We then recommend that uncertain scientific results in the context of public health crises ought to be communicated with humility, an emphasis on what is unknown, and a clear outline of the kinds of evidence that would give proof to controversial claims.

Vyšlo v časopise: Effectively Communicating the Uncertainties Surrounding Ebola Virus Transmission. PLoS Pathog 11(10): e32767. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1005097
Kategorie: Opinion
prolekare.web.journal.doi_sk: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005097

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