COVID-19's Collapse of Science

 Richael Lamendola 

Professor Horgan 

HST 401

25 January 2023

COVID-19’s Collapse of Science

In the mind of the public, scientific evidence often is used near synonymously with objectivity, rationality, and truth. Highly-educated experts conduct years of research in search of answers to incredibly difficult questions. Because of this, there is an air of authority that, in the past, has been afforded to any field of scientific research. How then, in the wake of a deadly, viral pandemic, are there large swaths of people acting in direct contradiction - and at times open opposition - to the recommendations of leading experts?

During a global pandemic, most would think that science would be the nation’s number one priority in an attempt to keep our country safe and healthy. However, the reality of COVID-19 has proved quite the opposite as a significant number of American adults are losing faith in science. In a study conducted by Pew Research Center, it was reported that in April 2020, 43% of US adults had a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public. By December 2021, this percentage significantly dropped to 29% of US adults. But what caused this drastic disconnect between society and science at a time when unity was of the utmost importance?

The rapid decline of the public’s trust in science was caused by numerous components, including mixed messaging from scientists, extensive spreading of misinformation during a time of mass hysteria, as well as contradicting statements by political leaders. It is no secret that the United States was terribly unprepared for a global pandemic; just as with any new sickness, extensive amounts of research were poured into COVID-19 in order to attempt to contain the disease and produce new treatments and medications. Due to the severity of the pandemic, information was disclosed to the public as quickly as possible, which often led to confusion and mixed messaging. Contradicting reports and speculations flew about the effectiveness of masks, the mode of transmission, and the importance of social distancing, resulting in many Americans questioning the validity of science. 

As journalist Christie Aschwanden mentions in her article, “Science Isn’t Broken”, “information from published research articles may not be entirely accurate”, as scientists are able to manipulate experiments in order to yield the results they want. Because of this, inaccurate information was published consistently throughout the height of the pandemic, reducing faith in scientists as each new discovery was proven wrong or corrected. Aside from contradicting reports from scientists, the pandemic also acted as an opportunity for conspiracy theories to gain popularity throughout the country. From vaccines hiding microchips to track people to the 5G mobile network being the cause of the pandemic, rumors and misinformation flew rapidly across the country.

Political interference also played a massive role during the pandemic, as political leaders consistently spoke out, bringing awareness to their own opinions – and sometimes even contradicting new scientific realizations. Ultimately, this led to the politicization of the pandemic. While masks and vaccines were originally intended to promote safety among citizens, they quickly turned into a method of political representation. Ryan Cross, biotech reporter for the American Chemical Society, stated, “Numerous surveys indicate that the division between Republicans and Democrats holds up in just about every aspect of the pandemic related to science, whether it’s about COVID-19 death counts, social distancing, mask wearing, confidence in vaccines, or regulatory and scientific institutions themselves.” Because of this, Americans began to base their scientific beliefs on which aligned with their political stances or figures. As political scientist Elizabeth Suhay stated, “Political values are unavoidably wrapped up with scientific research, because science tells us what’s possible. Science is inherently controversial because nobody wants to hear that their options are limited.” 

Unfortunately, as more Americans lose faith in science, less advancements can be made. The only way for science to continually progress and improve is with cooperation from citizens. If scientific theories cannot be tested and analyzed in the real world, growth is impossible. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, as more Americans lost faith in science, many refused to receive the vaccine. If all Americans refused the vaccine, there would be no way to accurately test if the injection was effective, hence preventing advancements in the treatment and prevention of the virus. 

In the recent years of the pandemic, America’s trust in science has gone drastically downhill, conjuring up questions on the future of science and medicine in this country. Unfortunately, hostility towards medical scientists and researchers cannot allow the nation to advance. It’s extremely important for the welfare of America that its citizens cooperate and work with scientists in order to allow the country’s progression. 

In the case of a future pandemic or crisis, it is essential to understand that collaboration with scientists and regaining trust in science gives our nation a much higher chance of a faster recovery. 




Citations

Aschwanden, Christie. “Science Isn't Broken.” FiveThirtyEight, 19 Aug. 2015,

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/science-isnt-broken/#part4. 

Cross, Ryan. “Will Public Trust in Science Survive the Pandemic?” c&En, American Chemical

Society, 25 Jan. 2021, https://cen.acs.org/policy/global-health/Will-public-trust-in-science

-survive-the-pandemic/99/i3. 

Hatton, C. Ross, et al. “American Trust in Science & Institutions in the Time of COVID-19.”

Daedalus 2022; 151 (4): 83–97. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_01945 

Kennedy, Brian, et al. “Americans' Trust in Scientists, Other Groups Declines.” Pew Research

Center Science & Society, Pew Research Center, 15 Feb. 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/02/15/americans-trust-in-scientists-other-groups-declines/. 

Kużelewska, Elżbieta, and Mariusz Tomaszuk. “Rise of Conspiracy Theories in the Pandemic

Times.” International journal for the semiotics of law = Revue internationale de

semiotique juridique vol. 35,6 (2022): 2373-2389. doi:10.1007/s11196-022-09910-9

Mervis, Jeffrey. Politics, Science, and Public Attitudes: What We're Learning, and Why It

Matters. Science.org, 25 Feb. 2015, https://www.science.org/content/article/politics-scie

nce-and-public-attitudes-what-we-re-learning-and-why-it-matters. 

Parikh, Sudip. “Why We Must Rebuild Trust in Science.” Pew Research Center Science &

Society, Pew Research Center, 9 Feb. 2021, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/

winter-2021/why-we-must-rebuild-trust-in-science.


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