'Medical Corona Science': Philosophical and systemic issues: Re-thinking medicine? On the epistemology of Corona...

Area of Science:

• The study focuses on the disciplinary profile and knowledge production within the scientific field dedicated to the Corona pandemic, termed 'Medical Corona Science' (MCS).

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a specific approach to scientific knowledge generation.
• This approach, termed 'Medical Corona Science' (MCS), is characterized by its disciplinary focus and the quality of its output.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the disciplinary composition of knowledge production concerning the Corona pandemic.
• To evaluate the quality of scientific knowledge generated within this field.
• To propose improvements for future pandemic research and response.

Main Methods:

• Systematic application of criteria from the analytical philosophy of science.
• Systematic application of criteria from science and technology studies (STS).

Main Results:

• Knowledge production is dominated by auxiliary medical disciplines (e.g., virology, epidemiology), not clinical ones.
• The science is laboratory-centered, technology-driven, and data-focused, often overlooking clinical realities.
• There's a deficit in theoretical frameworks for understanding the pandemic as a complex dynamic system.
• The need for adaptation to 'post-normal science,' 'mode 2 science,' and 'Integration and Implementation Science' is identified.

Conclusions:

• A meta-scientific discussion on the epistemic value of Medical Corona Science (MCS) is necessary.
• Tools from systems science should be applied to better frame and understand the pandemic.
• Integrating clinical knowledge is essential for a more holistic scientific approach to pandemics.