I'm really dismayed at the way health & medical science is responding to the #COVID19 crisis.

At the start, I was inspired to see a few good people stepping forward to do advocacy, outreach, & offering free labour. Purely for the good of humanity.

#COVID19science 1/7

Many of these volunteers faced criticism. If you weren't an infectious disease epidemiologist or virologist you were accused of bandwagon jumping.

In the UK, it was frowned on to publicly criticise the chief medical officer. Even when the strategy was wrong!

#COVID19science 2/7

Things changed once the behind-the-scene pressure forced the government to act, the lockdown started, & the population realised the seriousness of #COVID19.

Suddenly every health scientist was happy to join the discussion & offer their help.

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But these second wave 'experts' were after something else. A lot of money is now available to scientific teams who volunteer to do #COVID19 research. The motivator now isn't 'doing the right thing' it's reputation, esteem, & money.

#COVID19science 4/7

Suddenly every university is rushing to advertise how they are 'helping'. Sometimes it's completely untrue.

I've heard senior managers describe #COVID19 as an 'opportunity' to boost reputation & score. better in #REF2021 (the national audit of research).

#COVID19science 5/7

When there were no rewards, no-one wanted to be an expert

Now there's money & reputation on offer, everyone claims to be

These career 'scientists' are dangerous. They don't do open research. They don't share data. They may not even know what they're doing.

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This rush for esteem, will create a flood of flawed research.

At the very time we need a different approach to science - one focussed on doing what's right not on power & ego - we get the opposite.

It's sad. & it shows why science needs real system change.

#COVID19science 7/7