COVID-19 First Responder Update 6/11/20
There is plenty of information about COVID-19 available for anyone who searches and clicks on a computer or turns on a TV or radio to catch up on the news. As more is learned about the disease, more info is written and released in an effort to help advance the ability to recognize, identify, track, treat and prevent COVID, so sometimes, as more insight is gained, the information changes. In the beginning, a lot of it was because there just wasn’t enough data and/or there were assumptions about COVID made that turned out not to be true. Currently, there is still valuable info that has to be released so that others can apply it to provide better care although some is released before enough (or any) scientific or peer review has been completed. Or, it may be put out to be wrong maliciously, is intended to sway opinion, or to provide a financial benefit.
Knowledge really is power. Just realize that information being published may not have completed the typical scrutiny, but is being offered as suggested solutions, based on previous or recent practice, and will still need to be scientifically tested, critically peer reviewed for the use of proper methods, conclusions and applications, and then likely formally accepted. Be aware of this as you search for articles and read information. Look at what organization/institution is publishing the information, look at the credentials of the person writing, look at the details and type of the study or observation. Check for other related articles that back up or are counter to what is suggested. Look for conflicts of interest or who is backing the writer or publisher. Check for written comments, see if they make sense and if there is any consensus. And, always, be ready for change; we won’t know a lot of proof-beyond-a-doubt info for quite a while yet. But, it’s good to know that there are great minds all over the subject and almost all are doing their best to advance the science.
