Thread by @giorgosmit

Science and epidemiology has, for a full year now, been fully subsumed by politics in Greece. The scientific commission on pandemic management has been rubberstamping illiberal, erratic, and contradictory decisions by the conservative government since the start of the pandemic.

https://twitter.com/tony_rgps/status/1372133276484317184

As a result, we have the "privilege" if being a country with a six-month lockdown, requiring sending SMSes to a number (with completely opaque personal data management), being subject to fines based on the police's whims, and at the same time having sky-high infection rates.

Meanwhile, the already widespread conspiracy theories and distrust towards science is rapidly transforming into a "fuck science" attitude for many people,which is basically a rational response, when one witnesses the daily debasement of science for political gains by "scientists"

Just to give an idea of the confusion, about 5 days ago, there was talk of lockdown extension. Today the scientific advisory committee on COVID was supposed to convene, and there are widespread rumors of lockdown lift, or at least a substantial easing.

At the same time as these rumors circulate, the infection rate has skyrocketed and is on track to set new all-time records. Chief scientist Sotiris Tsiodras said that staying at home helps the virus circulate and infect - that, after 6 months of lockdown.

That statement, 3 weeks after prohibiting movement between municipalities for anything except grave reasons, trapping city dwellers to densely populated areas with absolutely no green spaces. That, after policemen savagely beat people on the streets for sitting on park benches.

People don't know what is true or not about best COVID practices. And people don't care about it either. There is elation at the rumors of lifting the lockdown, even as the ICUs are full and the HC system has collapsed. And that's squarely on the scientific commission.

So the million dollar question is this: what happens if you have set up a Potemking village of a pandemic management, trying to keep up appearances by injecting hush money into the media ecosystem, and people finally see through it? We're about to find out in Greece.