The polarised discourse around face masks is hindering constructive debate

It has been both fascinating and disheartening to observe heated debates among academics about the use of face masks and various other covid-19 related issues, particularly on social media and mostly from the UK and North America. Large and vocal parts of the academic community seem to be split into two groups holding completely incompatible views, with each side equally convinced that they are right. This area of contention makes a constructive exchange of views and joint reflection almost unachievable, since facts and research findings have limited impact when positions are fixed from the outset.The lack of nuance from many or most participants, the frequent personal attacks on individuals, and the often harsh wording exchanged makes the discourse on face masks different to what we are typically used to, or aim for, in academia. After receiving several strong responses from researchers and health professionals when they published a study on…
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