'An enemy of the people: doctors as scapegoats

One distressing aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic for some doctors and health scientists has been to find themselves the targets of hatred for carrying out their professional duties. This has been a particular problem for physicians in public health. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the US president, has been the focus of systematic attempts to vilify him with the label of ‘public enemy number one’ because of information and guidance he has issued.1 In England, two men have been convicted for a physical assault on the government’s chief medical officer, Sir Chris Whitty, for the same reason.2 Epidemiologists and other experts have been victims of abuse on social media, often with a misogynistic or racist slant. The abuse has included death threats, or threats of physical and sexual violence.3 Disturbingly, some politicians have been complicit in this unhealthy process or have even...
Source: Postgraduate Medical Journal - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: On reflection Source Type: research