The Conversation Series: Evidence in the Era of Misinformation: Using Science to Combat COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is biological, but it is also social. It is economic, but it is also political. Experts have warned that sars-cov-2, the coronavirus that causes this disease, might never go away. The more that the virus spreads and replicates, the more opportunity it has to mutate. New variants can arise in any part of the world and, with modern travel, spread anywhere rapidly.

We know that the biological pandemic will end one day; we must also ensure an end to the social one. How can we bring an end to this social pandemic of misinformation, unproven treatments, and pseudoscientific approaches? What can we learn from evidence-based science to save lives and save the economy?

Our speaker, a trained microbiologist, and the author of COVID-19: separating fact from fiction, will address key questions on this health crisis. How do variants arise? Will vaccines work against the variants? What does the current situation mean for India and the rest of the world? This discussion will cover preventative and treatment approaches in the near term and solutions for the medium and long-term to navigate living in a covid world.