by Mishandling of scientific knowledge manifests itself in many aspects of our lives. Certain news and information gets distributed in different ways to different people which results in benefiting a few and hurting a lot. News castors and journalists have the right to share whatever information they wish to. Freedom of press allows for American citizens to inform themselves and others about public affairs in the country. However, sometimes when the scientific information is incorrect, many people get hurt. Our country is currently fighting a battle with coronavirus. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, continues to spread false information about the effects of the virus and ways to helpfully reduce the number of cases and death. The withholding or spread of false scientific knowledge by the president has resulted in the virus being more detrimental and deadly.
Trump has not only said that the coronavirus would not affect the United States but also that masks are not necessary in wearing. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has strongly advised the citizens of the United States to wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On April 3rd 2020, Trump responded in a White House conference to this information with: “The C.D.C. is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure. So it’s voluntary. You don’t have to do it. They suggested for a period of time, but this is voluntary. I don’t think I’m going to be doing it.” By acknowledging that the science endorses masks but still saying that they are not important spreads false information to the public and displays mishandling of scientific knowledge by the president of the United States. In February, before the virus got even worse, Trump stated that “[the virus is] going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.” About a week before Trump made this ignorant remark, the CDC released an article about COVID-19 entering the United States, the necessary precautions to limit the spread of it, and how quickly infection will spread. The coronavirus was and is not a joke. Over a million lives worldwide and two hundred thousand in the United States have been lost, and many continue to lose their lives to this deadly disease. Trump speaks to the public endorsing fake information which endangers the lives of American citizens. Other countries that had their citizens wear masks and promote social distancing eliminated the threat of the virus faster than the United States. Their leaders helped inform the public of the dangers of the virus instead of boasting about how it might just go away. With the political shift in our climate, COVID-19 protection protocol has become politicized. The science behind wearing a mask to protect yourself and others should not be a democratic or republican issue. By Trump insulting Biden for wearing a mask, he illustrates to the American public that masks are an option and a political choice. The science behind masks helps keep people safe, and the American public should not have to worry about our President endangering us by spreading false scientific knowledge.
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https://polyclinic.com/blog/dealing-masks-during-covid-19