ReviewBMC infectious diseases2021
COVID-19 false dichotomies and a comprehensive review of the evidence regarding public health, COVID-19 symptomatology, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, mask wearing, and reinfection.
Review in BMC infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 84 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
84 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 190 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk of transmission of respiratory viruses during aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMPs) revisited in the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2022Pooled it
- Trial
- SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control measures in Belgian schools between December 2020 and June 2021 and their association with seroprevalence: a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study.BMC public health · 2023Trial
- Using Moralization as a Persuasion Strategy in Public Health Messages: A Cross-Sectional, Experimental Study on Vaping.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Efficacy of antiseptic mouthrinses against SARS-CoV-2: A prospective randomized placebo-controlled pilot study.American journal of otolaryngologyTrial
- Renal function dynamics in COVID-19: exploring biomarker interactions with D-dimer and C-reactive proteins.Bioscience reports · 2026Article
- Barriers to Recovery from Opioid Use Disorder Reported by Women During 2020: Insights for the Next Public Health Emergency.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Retrospective analysis of age-specific non-pharmaceutical interventions on wild-type SARS-CoV-2 in Canada.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Taming the Cytokine Storm: Therapeutic Strategies for Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Perception of Risk for Developing Severe Illness or Complications from COVID-19 in Brazil: Focus on Factors Linked to Socially Vulnerable Populations, 2020-2023.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Positioning the Sense of Coherence (SOC) in Disaster Recovery Planning and Design.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Review
- Air Passengers' Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection With a 14-Day Quarantine and Accuracy Assessment of a Symptom-based Screening System at an Airport.Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi · 2025Article
- What Lessons can Be Learned From the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic?International journal of public health · 2025Review
- Public perceptions of health and economic impacts during COVID-19: Findings from a repeated cross-national survey in the US, UK and Germany (2020-2022).BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Community leaders' experiences of hepatitis E in a Namibian informal settlement: A qualitative study.Journal of public health in Africa · 2025Article
- Health Protocol Practices and Personal Preventive Measures among Fully Vaccinated Individuals with Comorbidities in the National Capital Region, Philippines during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Study.Acta medica Philippina · 2025Article
- Dealing with dichotomies in health care: Case reports.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2024Article
- Using random forest and biomarkers for differentiating COVID-19 and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- A data-driven analysis on the mediation effect of compartment models between control measures and COVID-19 epidemics.Heliyon · 2024Article
- The Ethical Assessment of the Stay-At-Home Order in South Africa in Light of The Universal Declaration of Bioethics And Human Rights (UNESCO).Journal of bioethical inquiry · 2024Article
24 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Scientists across disciplines, policymakers, and journalists have voiced frustration at the unprecedented polarization and misinformation around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several false dichotomies have been used to polarize debates while oversimplifying complex issues. In this comprehensive narrative review, we deconstruct six common COVID-19 false dichotomies, address the evidence on these topics, identify insights relevant to effective pandemic responses, and highlight knowledge gaps and uncertainties. The topics of this review are: 1) Health and lives vs. economy and livelihoods, 2) Indefinite lockdown vs. unlimited reopening, 3) Symptomatic vs. asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, 4) Droplet vs. aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, 5) Masks for all vs. no masking, and 6) SARS-CoV-2 reinfection vs. no reinfection. We discuss the importance of multidisciplinary integration (health, social, and physical sciences), multilayered approaches to reducing risk ("Emmentaler cheese model"), harm reduction, smart masking, relaxation of interventions, and context-sensitive policymaking for COVID-19 response plans. We also address the challenges in understanding the broad clinical presentation of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. These key issues of science and public health policy have been presented as false dichotomies during the pandemic. However, they are hardly binary, simple, or uniform, and therefore should not be framed as polar extremes. We urge a nuanced understanding of the science and caution against black-or-white messaging, all-or-nothing guidance, and one-size-fits-all approaches. There is a need for meaningful public health communication and science-informed policies that recognize shades of gray, uncertainties, local context, and social determinants of health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.