There are few certainties in coronavirus medicine – research is our best weapon | Margaret McCartney
From drug treatments to preventive measures like wearing masks, we don't yet have the evidence we need for effective policymaking
This pandemic is frightening for many people - especially those at the highest risk - and the need for effective prevention and treatment is pressing.
When there is no direct evidence about what is best to do with a new disease, we need to create it. Clearly, that means recognising that some seemingly sensible interventions may not produce the intended effects. All of medicine is a bit uncertain (unlike maths, where proof is immutable). We can be very certain about some things (drinking bleach is harmful) and less certain about others (could vitamin D be useful?) Admitting uncertainty is something medicine historically finds difficult. But if we don't recognise the gaps in our knowledge, we won't research them. And good research has to be the way out of this.
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