E177: How did scientists share their findings during the COVID-19 pandemic? [SJK Audio Edition]

Read this article at:   or watch at: https://youtu.be/XIl20eaK31USummary: Researchers wanted to know how fast COVID-19 science research reached decision-makers.Abstract: Do you remember the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic? Leaders had to make fast choices. But how did they know what to do? We looked at the work of a team of scientists from Imperial College London. They helped by sharing reports, news stories, and science papers – fast. We looked at 620 reports they put out between 2020 and 2022. We were curious. What types of reports did they produce? How fast did they share their work? Who used it? What did they study?News stories reached leaders the fastest. About two months faster than normal science papers. That matters when people are getting sick! Reports and preprints were also created by the team. Governments from 41 different countries cited work from the team as they developed policy. The team also changed what they studied as the virus changed. This made their reports more useful for governments. Our study shows something important: sharing science quickly can help develop policy that keeps people safe.You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com