The Uncomfortable Truth Of What Really Happened With COVID | Dr. Paul Offit

The swiss ministry of health earned a lot of trust by just answering we don’t know because it’s a new thing. Honest and clear. People mostly listened to the advice. Later turned out that some information was wrong which they admitted. The health minister is retired now but got a standing ovation on his way out. Communication was crucial

I teach communication classes and this is what I teach it: Disinformation- information you know to be untrue but you share anyway to support your goal. Misinformation- information you think is true but is not. Misleading information- information that is technically true but is taken out of context thus can lead to incomplete/inaccurate conclusions.

How can we sue politicians when they practice medicine without a license? Serious question.

As a nurse educator, I drill my students on medications they are administering before we even walk into the patient's room. It's intense but they often appreciate it because they're more confident when answering patient questions. Thank you for mentioning that confidence from the practitioner plays a key role in the patient's trust.

"Stay home if you are sick" means "get suspended without pay, and lose your health care plan" for a lot of people

"I was wrong." Three words that every leader, expert and communicator needs to be humble and brave enough to admit. Sure, admitting weakness makes you vulnerable politically but lying will erode your credibility to your allies and to the people you are trying to help. Without trust, you are nothing.

Lack of transparency, lack of humility, calling out when youry wrong, all reasons many people pushed back.

Hi Dr. Mike, I am a recent graduate who wants to become a certified chemical engineer. I have been watching your videos since the COVID pandemic and I just want to say THANK YOU because have been a huge help to everyone who needs information on health, culture, medicine, myths, etc. I have learned plenty by watching your videos and I was also fact-checked by them on some things I thought I knew. I would like to, in the future, become a YouTuber who makes videos about industrial processes, more related to chemical production, refineries, oil transformation, and also on safety prevention (CHAZOP, HAZOP, FMEA, risk assessment, etc). Nowadays, with all the incidents occurring in chemical plants and other facilities, the need for medical information is important more than ever. I do not know if my comment will ever be seen, but I would like to know your comments on that (from a medical standpoint). Not only the risks but also the medical causes and effects of said accidents. Thank you!

When you need medical information, stay away from politicians.

Remember, folks: people matter more than opinions. We’re going to agree and disagree - and that’s okay! Things are going to be said that aren’t perfect - that’s okay too! It’s okay to be human and take something different from this message than someone else. Thanks Dr. Mike for tackling a very sensitive and volatile topic with professionalism and integrity.

This podcast is why we need scientists and doctors and other people (hello, media!) who actually have people's best interest at heart. The question is how does one find those professionals? Ideally, it would be social media...

This is probably my favorite episode yet. Two really compassionate, educated, and honest individuals. Thanks so much!

I’m a doctor here in Brazil and it was really hard working in the pandemic, in the middle of the “battle field” and seeing so much fake news and unbelievable political decisions that were being taken.

100% if they had been transparent and not assume we were too dumb to notice some things, I think the state of our country would be very different aside from the COVID related repercussions.

I know someone who works for home and hasn’t left her house since 2020 due to the panic of Covid. This whole thing has damaged people psychologically.

I really think both of you should debate the other side, refusing to do so, while the other side seems eager to do so, does no favors for your arguments. Debate is a fundamental part of the scientific process, if strong, valid, non-partial scientific studies exist to back up your view, why be afraid to debate?

That was a phenomenal conversation to watch, especially as a medical student. Terrific display of understanding nuance in medicine and giving advice on conveying important health measures to the public despite ever-changing data. I loved every second of it!

combining politics and science/medicine doesn't clean up politics, it corrupts science/medicine

Dr Offit is a rare voice of balance, reason and equanimity on this. I wish he could have been heard more during the midst of the pandemic.

There were highly knowledgeable experts in their fields who were muzzled and maliciously, viscously attacked because they didn’t march in lockstep. That’s the antithesis of a scientific approach. Everyone lost their minds and the damage to trust in government and medical institutions is both deserved and profound.