Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.
When I sit in the glow of our fireplace, lulled by the rhythmic knock of the pendulum on our antique clock, I think of Galileo and, oddly, of COVID-19. Galileo died a prisoner, sentenced to house arrest for suspicion of heresy because he insisted that the earth moves around the sun. Even though his contributions to science spurred the development of modern-day aeronautics as well telescopes, and, yes, pendulums, he stood condemned. Affirming his resolve as he was led away, Galileo is said to have muttered stubbornly, "And yet it moves."
History proved him right, and it will do the same for all of us who insist that "COVID is real"—a truth that was clearly on display during the 2020 American Heart Association (AHA) Virtual Scientific Sessions.
The Consequences of COVID-19 Denial
The presenters at AHA did more than their part to defend truth and promote knowledge despite widely shared claims that "The numbers aren't there," "It will disappear on election night," and "It's the flufolks." Claims that have fueled reckless behaviors and cost lives. On November 18, 2020, day 2 of AHA, the COVID death toll had topped 259,000. Over 76,000 American citizens were hospitalized (now over 100,000).
