Pandemic forcing scientists to exercise different skills

BOSTON -- As they are thrust into the spotlight during the ongoing public health crisis, scientists should prioritize storytelling, offer clear recommendations, and speak candidly about uncertainty to better connect with the public, a panel of experts said Tuesday.

Scientific communication faces new challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic, from proliferating misinformation to polarization of expert opinions.

Dr. Vin Gupta, a professor at the University of Washington and a critical care physician, cautioned that doctors, epidemiologists and other experts are working in a "highly charged environment," facing "quarterbacking" from elected officials and partisan responses.

Despite those obstacles, though, Gupta and fellow panelists at a virtual MilliporeSigma event said key concepts about the highly infectious coronavirus and the illness it causes can be widely understood if scientists take the proper educational approach.

"A lot of science makes sense when you really try to understand it," Gupta said. "It conforms to the laws of nature often. Some people can debate that that's not always the case. But the more you can actually draw a clear line of thinking for an individual and help them realize, 'Oh, that concept intuitively makes sense,' that builds trust."

One key strategy experts should deploy, he said, is storytelling. By minimizing technical jargon and focusing on narrative techniques that resonate with most members of the public, scientists can make concrete the impacts of the virus and the state of the medical community's response.

Gupta pointed to end-of-life care in intensive care units as a useful example, particularly when trying to connect with those who might be skeptical about the threats COVID poses.

Many families have not been able to physically visit dying loved ones because of transmission risks, a toll that Gupta said often reaches listeners on a personal level because "you can't truly say goodbye."

"Every time we see somebody pass away or toward the end of their life from COVID-19 specifically in the ICU, it's an awful experience," he said. "It's really, really difficult on a human level, and so that's where I try to connect. I try to go to places where a story can cut through the noise."

Another challenge many in scientific communication have faced in recent months is an upended workflow.

Nick Lindsay, director of journals and open access for MIT Press, said some studies rejected by scientific journals have still been picked up for news coverage, creating "unfortunate consequences."

MIT Press and the University of California Berkeley launched a new journal, titled Rapid Reviews: COVID-19, in June to supplement the field of peer reviewing and reduce the impact of misleading scientific news.

Publishers are also coping with a flood of new studies. Before the pandemic, Lindsay said a journal might need five or six requests to get two or three reviewers, but lately, the ratio is closer to 10 requests to secure just one review.

"If you know a friend or a loved one who's involved in public health right now, you know their resources are extremely stretched and their time is extremely stretched, and they've got better things to do, frankly, than to worry about doing peer reviews," Lindsay said.

Gupta encouraged scientists not to shy away from social media, noting that wide swaths of the populace use platforms like Facebook and Twitter to get their news, and he recommended focusing public appearances on digestible "takeaways."

There are enough pundits already communicating outrage or other political opinions, he said, so viewers and readers often turn to scientists for recommendations on how they can change their own behaviors. Fulfilling that goal, Gupta said, ensures that people are "gaining something and not just gaining more noise."

He also stressed the importance of being transparent about when consensus on a topic shifts.

"Talking about how you wrestle with confusion can be a guide to others and it can be really reassuring that we're all going through this together," Gupta said. "Communicating how you have experienced this morass of confusion even with the relevant training can really be useful to others."