‘Traitor’: the Australian researchers working under the weight of pandemic misinformation

Scientists face barrage of conspiracy theories and falsehoods at unprecedented levels, study finds

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None of the people who bombard virologist Prof Dominic Dwyer with emails calling him a traitor", or who urge him to recommend unproven Covid-19 treatments, have his four decades of medical experience. Nor have they spoken to those most affected by the devastation of Covid.

In January, he visited Wuhan, China, with other experts, to investigate the origins of the pandemic and report back to the World Health Organization. Dwyer spoke to many people forever changed by the virus at a time before vaccinations were available.

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