FER CRYIN' OUT LOUD! MAKE UP YOUR MINDS! WHICH IZZIT?

I am not convinced all countries have good accurate info.. We understand that people can get it again as it can mutate in a short period of time. Anyone who claims differently therefore is not telling the truth. 

We probably don't know yet. I'm OK with that. Does it bother you?

Maurice is right on both counts.

This particular strain is new to us but the Corona Virus itself is a common genus, so we don't yet know if we can reliably develop natural immunity - it probably also depends heavily on the individual, just as some people seem unaffected by the common cold whilst others catch every cold going. That too is from a Corona virus strain!


The Press, possibly pandering to or feeding a widespread public fear of genuine uncertainty, are on the whole notoriously poor at reporting anything scientific. There are exceptions, and I think most of the rest at least try to be honest, but like many of their audience they find science and scientific method hard to understand so cannot quote or summarise it properly.

So the reporters and their readers miss or overlook the significance of "I think...", of the nature of philosophical and arithmetical uncertainty, of the difference between hazard and risk, of the contrast between numerical counts and %-ages, the power of %, the principle of peer-review; and so on.  

To be fair, not all scientists are good communicators either - but the scientific world is well aware of that, to the extent that there are academics specialising in studying and trying to overcome the twin problems of poor communication and public incomprehension.