A possible solution to foul-ups like this would be to require all journalists attending the daily briefing to be given a day long crash course in the relevant science. This would enable better informed Qs to the relevant scientists https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1245637312760836096

It is right to hold scientific decision makers to account like others. But doing it properly requires a different toolkit. Another option would be to change the press pool - half lobby journalists, half science journalists. Get the science journalists to question the scientists.