An excellent open letter from @Stanford student @malar0ne to Dr. @MLevitt_NP2013, a leader of #COVID_disinformation:

https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/12/13/dr-levitt-your-words-have-power-use-them-carefully/

Few serious scientists have made so many false statements and predictions about the COVID pandemic.

Some examples:

1/đŸ§” https://twitter.com/malar0ne/status/1338508598217822208
First and foremost, Dr. Levitt has a flawed understanding of risk. He compared the risk of the COVID pandemic to the risk of alcohol, bad diet, and tobacco:

https://twitter.com/SafaMote/status/1292589507066368002?s=20

2/
On July 26, Dr. Levitt predicted that the US COVID deaths will remain below 170,000. But it took less than a month for the US to surpass 170k deaths.

The official toll will likely surpass 340,000 (=2×170k) before the end of this year, 2020.

https://twitter.com/SafaMote/status/1307747667032846336?s=20

3/
Dr. Levitt also stated that "panic" caused the COVID deaths in Wuhan, New York, and Bergamo!

He wrote: "Calm ignorance may save lives."

Well, ignorance *perished* many more lives — 1,750,000 globally.

https://twitter.com/SafaMote/status/1299469272331288577?s=20

4/
On Sept 19, Levitt suggested that if we had allowed the coronavirus to spread freely, its lethality could have been reduced.

He was clearly spewing disinformation, leading to additional avoidable infections and deaths.

https://twitter.com/SafaMote/status/1307804598707646464?s=20

5/
Dr. Levitt might have been encouraged by his colleagues who have contributed to #COVID_disinformation campaigns. They include authors of the infamous Great Barrington Declaration, Bhattacharya, Gupta, and Kulldorff, who are standing next to Atlas in the photo below.

6/
In an in-depth investigation, Dr. @nafeezahmad exposed the climate science denial network behind the Great Barrington Declaration:

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/09/climate-science-denial-network-behind-great-barrington-declaration/

7/
Climate Science Denial Network Behind Great Barrington Declaration – Byline Times

The ‘think-tank’ behind the Great Barrington Declaration is part-funded by right-wing American billionaire Charles Koch

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/09/climate-science-denial-network-behind-great-barrington-declaration/
In particular, @ScottWAtlas became one of the most influential COVID disinformers of 2020. He was constantly broadcasting disinformation, & advocated for the failed "herd immunity" policy from the moment he became the top pandemic adviser to Mr. Trump.

https://twitter.com/SafaMote/status/1300861384599756801?s=20
8/
As @MaxCRoser showed in a single chart, "herd immunity" theories have terribly failed.

https://twitter.com/SafaMote/status/1326684711842942976?s=20

9/
The herd immunity policy has not only led to 18 million documented COVID cases and 330,000 official deaths, it has caused unprecedented unemployment & other major economic damages, e.g., $7 trillion of added deficit in just one year.

https://twitter.com/SafaMote/status/1318590537532932098?s=20

10/
Note: A study estimated that 38% of COVID misinformation originated from Mr. Trump's statements, which constituted the largest portion of detrimental disinformation.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-misinformation.html

11/
Study Finds ‘Single Largest Driver’ of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump

Cornell University researchers analyzing 38 million English-language articles about the pandemic found that President Trump was the largest driver of the “infodemic.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-misinformation.html
Scientists might make incorrect but otherwise *honest* claims. The scientific process will eventually correct those statements. That is how science advances.

However, repeating misinformed statements that are trivially false and lead to deaths is not acceptable.

12/
Dr. Levitt had about 2,000 followers when I first met him in May 2020. His follower count has now grown to 77,500. But his scientific credibility has collapsed to zero.

What an embarrassing ending to an otherwise stellar scientific career, including a Nobel Prize.

13/end
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