"Anchoring bias" is a huge problem with the coronavirus pandemic -- people tend to remember the first things they learn about a new subject & have a hard time updating that with new info (thread) scientificamerican.com/article/nine-i… via @sciam
The virus doesn't kill only people in China or in Italy or on cruise ships or in nursing homes. It can kill absolutely anybody. It's not just those other people's problem. It's everybody's problem.
It's not just in sneezes or coughs. Contaminated surfaces aren't the main problem. This coronavirus is In! The! Air!, spread by people who aren't necessarily sick and who are just singing or talking or breathing.
I know, I know, we said this winter and early spring that people in the US didn't need to wear a mask, based on the best evidence & expertise at the time. But now it's clear that masks and social distancing are the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19.
And this virus clearly doesn't care about the weather. It thrives on people being social (bless them), on people not keeping up with the latest info & health advice (understand them), and on people deliberately spreading misinformation (curse them). /end
