by Steve Rees, Ret. RN, Harpist
Follow The Science!
A few days ago, I was refreshed to read a research report from MIT that took a look at where different strata of society receive most of their information from. In this current environment of the big CV fear, those who are labeled as “anti-maskers” are often considered to be against “the science” and are scolded by the mainstream to “follow the science.”
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1391754136031477760.html
However, this study showed the opposite.
“MIT researchers 'infiltrated' a Covid skeptics community a few months ago and found that skeptics place a high premium on data analysis and empiricism. Most fundamentally, the groups we studied believe that science is a process, and not an institution."
For a full PDF of the study click here - https://arxiv.org/pdf/2101.07993.pdf
Back in the middle of this whole crisis, I wrote articles on masks for the July and August issues of Masters of Health Magazine, in which I quoted from several published studies calling into question the efficacy of masks as well as listing some of the possible harm of frequently wearing masks, especially outside the proper use within the medical community. Having been trained in the medical field with the scientific approach, I am continually surprised at the responses, which are not all positive, I might say.
” Indeed, anti-maskers often reveal themselves to be more sophisticated in their understanding of how scientific knowledge is socially constructed than their ideological adversaries’ naïve realism about the “objective” truth of public health data. In other words, anti-maskers value unmediated access to information and privilege personal research and direct reading over “expert” interpretations. Its members value individual initiative and ingenuity, trusting scientific analysis only insofar as they can replicate it themselves by accessing and manipulating the data firsthand. They are highly reflexive about the inherently biased nature of any analysis and resent what they view as the arrogant self-righteousness of scientific elites. Many of the users believe that the most important metrics are missing from government-released data."
Throughout this whole process, I have told people multiple times that I am not against masks or vaccinations in appropriate situations. I am a trained medical professional – a Registered Nurse with more than 30 years of experience. I have worn many masks in appropriate situations and have taken and given many vaccines during my time as an RN. It is important to bring a reasoned approach to the proper use and place of each one.
The ‘appropriate use’ and place is what has been missing in this whole episode and my assessment is that this whole process has turned political instead of medical. Interestingly, that is what the study revealed as well.