Careless headline

May I challenge the story about the disagreement over potential Covid death tolls (Expert: 7000 death model ‘not plausible’, p12-13, Press, Sept 24).

Our Government and the health teams battling the pandemic are faced with a tsunami of utter nonsense from social media and it’s really important that it isn’t reinforced by careless headlines. In this case, a 50-odd point font blares ‘‘model ‘not plausible’’’ and it’s not until the sixth column that the rebuttal appears, when much of the damage is already done.

The vax deniers and hesitant will have seized on the headline because it confirms their mistaken belief and be trumpeting it all over Facebook.

Models, like all attempts to predict the future, have their limitations, but commentators should always ask themselves ‘‘Am I part of the solution or part of the problem?’’

I think it is not helpful to stir up controversy at this point.

Ian Orchard, Papanui