COVID-19: How We Learned and Changed Our Minds

Scientists were quick to share what they knew about COVID-19. They had to guess a lot at first. They thought COVID-19 would act like other viruses. They were wrong about many things. They thought it would be easy to stop. They thought it would not spread through the air. They thought masks were not needed. They thought vaccines would take years to make. They thought herd immunity would end the pandemic. Scientists had to keep changing their minds as they learned more. They found out COVID-19 spreads through tiny particles in the air. They found out masks help a lot. They found out vaccines could be made quickly. They found out herd immunity was not as simple as they thought. People were confused by all the changes. They thought scientists were flip-flopping. But that is how science works. Scientists learn new things and change their minds. They do not know everything at first. They have to guess and test. They have to learn from their mistakes. Scientists missed a chance to teach people about uncertainty. They could have said, "We do not know everything. We might be wrong. " That would have helped people understand. It would have helped people trust science more. COVID-19 is not the only virus that changes. Other viruses change too. Scientists have to keep learning. They have to keep changing their minds. That is how they fight viruses. That is how they save lives. People should not be skeptical of scientists. They should be aware that information can change. They should be aware that diseases can change. They should trust science. They should trust that scientists are doing their best.