Coronavirus Meets Changing Evidence
July 3, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, conflicting statements by experts, or statements that have changed over time, become grist for politics, as when the political right asserts that the public needn’t really worry about certain preventive measures, such as wearing masks. But claims of faulty scientific evidence may be misleading. In an Issues online exclusive, two scholars examined the importance of considering as well a broader category of “pragmatic evidence” that takes into account scientific uncertainties and desired social outcomes, and can justify precautionary action.