Dr. BCW, “Why I trust the data” – Dr. Curry-Winchell, tells the Nevada Independent why we should trust the data and not fall for COVID misinformation.
Read the full Nevada Independent article here
Dr. BCW,
There is an abundance of data and information—and misinformation—surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccine. For the general public, it might be hard to understand what the data actually mean or even trust the information being presented.
As a physician, I rely upon peer-reviewed journals to make the best-informed decisions about my patients and implement my knowledge and experience as a medical professional accordingly. Created by scientists and physicians, peer reviews are vital tools that present an even deeper exploration into the studies of different disease processes and provide me with the optics of how a group of people are experiencing a disease as a whole.
Through this lens, I’m able to decide whether I want to endorse the use of a medication, or wait until there is another review with more information. For example, I like to see if a blind study was involved and the number of patients who participated, which can affect the overall outcome and accuracy of results.
For the COVID-19 vaccine, I looked to the works of virologist Dr. Kizzy Corbett, who was part of the clinical trials for the vaccine. Seeing how strong, robust, and accurate her work was provided me with my initial layer of trust. I then looked at how the studies were performed, and made certain they included all races, ages and ethnicities, and also that they were blind studies — meaning they included participants who didn’t know whether they were receiving the vaccine or a placebo. (In addition, mRNA vaccines were studied well past the beginning of the pandemic, which many people are completely unaware of. The history of mRNA vaccines and the way the trials were performed helped me trust that the vaccine would be effective.)
I’ve also used data I’ve found in specific studies to make decisions for my pediatric patients….
Dr. BCW further explains “Why I trust the data” in the full Nevada Independent article.