Hard for us scientists to communicate effectively with the public when you are undermining us like this. Maybe we should just not try. Get the virologists and immunologists off twitter and out of the media!
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Replying to @stgoldst @ChachaMarquis
zeynep tufekci Retweeted The Onion
It's clear why that is not what I said. After a year of this, people are now trying to piece together the future from threads and there is, currently, widespread doom and "pandemic will never end" messaging/feeling and it's fueling lack of NPI compliance.https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/1346570931293069319 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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(Plus, on almost all of this, there are people with the right credentials making almost any claim—people with all the right credentials, Ivy league positions, official entities. How are people supposed to navigate this? "Epidemiologists and virologists" aren't saying one thing).
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Replying to @zeynep @ChachaMarquis
And so this is the argument to not have epidemiologists and virologists communicate with the public. Since it's literally impossible to make sense of what they're saying.
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Replying to @stgoldst @ChachaMarquis
The solution is exactly what I said: public health authorities need to step up to provide clarity. Do you have any other recommendation on how people are supposed to figure out which Twitter account with the right PhD and/or Ivy credential and/or official position is right?
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Replying to @zeynep @ChachaMarquis
There is a range of views among public health officials as well. So which public health officials should step up/be listened to? The problem of mixed messaging doesn't go away by sidelining the scientists.
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Replying to @stgoldst @ChachaMarquis
CDC for the US, obviously. Be first, be right, be credible. Plus, look at these headlines. You know this doesn't mean the vaccine is six times less effective. But how do you think such headlines get interpreted? People are getting despondent.pic.twitter.com/zH1L7L7xHW
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Replying to @zeynep @ChachaMarquis
I have very frequently participated in conversations and done my own threads trying to explain the vaccine data and that yes it's not 6 times less effective. I am not, however, a public health official. The implication of your suggestions is despite being right, I should stop.
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"be right" - but how do you immediately know what is right in all situations. Unsupported claims of certainty do no one any favors.
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Replying to @stgoldst @ChachaMarquis
So what should people not lucky enough to find your threads but run into an


you-know-who thread needlessly scaring people do? How can they figure out why what IMHE said doesn't make sense? CDC is in the right position to get in front of this.2 replies 1 retweet 3 likes
CDC can be wrong, be criticized (many have done so, fine), can even change its mind (I'd prefer with explanation long story). But I think you are underestimating how confusing and bifurcated the social media landscape is right now to people not you or your circles.
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Replying to @zeynep @ChachaMarquis
I may well be. I think you're underestimating how damaging your messaging is to trust in scientists though and how forcefully what comes across is that you want us all to shut up and stay in the lab. Not saying that's your intention, to be clear.
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