Reply #66: Advice from another molecular biologist

[chimpyisstillsatan]

Want some peer review? People cannot filter much of what you've said, so stick to the relevant and the known, and provide only the information that tells the story you're trying to convey.

Keep it simple, keep it accurate, an most of all keep it calm. We have a responsibility not to trade in the unknown and untested in all our writings, and especially now. As has been noted elsewhere, much of the fear here and elsewhere is unfounded and based on speculation, and to the untrained or inexperienced reader of scientific writing, your post will probably cause confusion and may may foster unintended/unfounded conclusions.

So how would I write it?

Short story: we don't know what exactly is going on, but that's o.k. for now. Good people are on top of things, and the tools at hand for monitoring and "controlling" things are the best in the history of the Universe.

Is there a chance that won't be enough? Sure, but we don't know enough yet to see a difference between this outbreak and any other, let alone the 1918 pandemic. Freaking out will do no good, and may cause harm.

What to do? Stay calm. Get some rest. Wash your hands. Hug your kids.