Has COVID changed your view of science & medicine?

This is the wrong question.

My view of science and medicine hasn't changed. Rather, my view of "acceptable threshold of risk" has changed.

Really, that's been the heart of the controversy since science gave us most of the answers within the first two months of the pandemic. We've basically known covid isn't deadly for most young/healthy people, is more dangerous for elderly/less healthy people, and can hold long-term sensory deprivation for many, regardless of health level. Additionally, we've known masks are, at best, a bandage and that the vaccines alleviate symptoms and transmission but do not inoculate fully.

These are the basic scientific and medical facts and reasonable folks on both sides who don't subscribe to radical conspiracy theories acknowledge them.

So why do we disagree?

I'd argue that it isn't the science itself so much as wildly varying thresholds of acceptable risk.

Given the exact same scientific and medical information, one side might call for full, draconian lockdowns to prevent the spread no matter the cost.

Another side might interpret the same data and say we should have never worried about it at all, we're all going to die someday, live your life.

The former accuse the latter of callous indifference about human life.

The latter accuse the former of callous indifference concerning the liberty that makes life worth living in the first place.

I tend to gravitate toward the latter interpretation. But, regardless, that's not really about science. It's about how the science factors into my existing philosophy and worldview.

That's the real question for those of us who don't think the government is trying to kill us or that big corporations are preventing the government from "doing the right thing" and mandating vaccinations nationwide.

"As a nation, what is our acceptable threshold of risk?"

That's the only real question, here, and (unless the crazies win) there will hopefully be a much clearer answer to that question next time something like this happens.