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Covid-19 Metaphors: Express Train, War, Black Box, Oh My

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We are awash in pandemic metaphors, e.g.:

On the Media Podcast: from their April 3, 2020, program: What War Rhetoric Means For A Wartime Economy

And:

Retraction Watch: April 6, 2020, post: “Hydroxychloroquine-COVID-19 study did not meet publishing society’s “expected standard”:
‘.… And we are likely to see lots of “promising” but ultimately unhelpful treatments in the days and weeks ahead. As we wrote the other day in Wired:

When it comes to findings, the Covid-19 train is an express, while the rigorous science coach is a local. Until that local arrives at its final destination, it may be wise to label all this research—preprints, peer-reviewed papers, and for goodness’ sake, pronouncements from Donald Trump— with a black-box warning: “There is some evidence for this now. It will likely turn out to be at least partially wrong.”….’ [Link to Retraction Watch post.]

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