1. This is an interesting time for the Evidence Based Medicine movement.

New virus and lots of new treatments and public health measures being touted.

We're all desperate for solutions and are willing to try things in a way we normally wouldn't.

2. I think as clinicians and researchers we still need to be honest about the limits of our scientific knowledge with patients and the public.

They are entitled to this and are quite capable of understanding the nuances. To assume otherwise is paternalistic.

3. We don't have to rush and say "X is amazing, it'll save lives"".

We can say "we don't know if x works, but it might, some research is showing it has potential. There is still the possibility it has effects we haven't considered or know about"

4. Unqualified promotion of low evidenced interventions has great potential to undermine trust in medics and in the research process.

We can say we don't know all the answers. People understand this.

As an aside I am having the best conversations with the public currently!

They are asking interesting questions and the discussions are fascinating.

We should trust their ability to handle ambiguity.